Zathura Vortex: Harper of His Heart
by LA Knight
Summary: The League are accompanied by Jessie, Alan's daughter. Movie-Tie-In. Relegated to the Zathura Vortex of Completed, BAD Fics
1. the Harper's New Quest

Chapter One: The Harper's New Quest  
  
Alan Quartermain lifted his head from the book he was reading and listened. Was that what he thought it was? He smiled at the sound that floated on the wind. She was playing again, his little Harper. He marked his place and set the book down, standing and walking towards the sound. The melody was hesitant, new. She had just written it, then. Alan sighed softly at the melancholy in the tune. She was so sad after her loss, but only expressed it in her music. Even then, it was very rare to hear a sad note, but when you did, it nearly broke a man's heart. The gothic box harp, as tall as two revolvers placed end to end, and just as wide, with it's intricate carved designs and bronze strings, was one of the pride and joys of Jessie Quartermain's life. Her mother had carved the fore pillar with an intricate design of Celtic knots, three different designs all interwoven into one. The top beam was carved with interlaced crescent moons, flaming suns, rayed stars. The other pillar had a name and title engraved in it in gothic letters: Harper Jesshiquekah. The harp was white as the snow, silver birch wood, but every carving was stained with its own color, the suns a burnished gold, the moons and stars silver, the knot works violet, blue, and indigo. That harp had been a gift from her mother before she'd left, a special gift. Jessie loved it. Alan heard the tune change, quicken, brighten, and Jessie's voice- so like her beloved Mother's- rose in a sweet lilt,  
  
"'Er 'air 'as bright a' fresh spun gold,  
'er eye a shinin' gem,  
'er lips an' cheeks 'ere roses red,  
much prettier tha' th'lot o' 'em!  
  
'Er kiss 'as soft a' butterflies,  
'er laugh a silver bell,  
'er voice a' swee' a' honeycomb,  
fair ringin' i' th' dell."  
  
Coming round the corner, Alan saw a small girl, hair tied in a braid with fourteen feathers- he knew it was exactly fourteen- hanging down her back, dressed in page clothes. Her shirt was white, but over it she wore a blue tunic trimmed in silver, and her breeches were black, tucked in her leather boots. She was sitting at a window, gazing out into the hot African night, happily plucking the sweet bronze strings.  
  
"'Er song 'as lightah' tha' th' rain,  
sweetah' tha' mornin' dew..."  
  
She trailed off, then began to strum another song. "The moon was bright as sweet starlight, the night was clear as sweet diamonds. The road shone clear on a path through the Mere-" "Harper duckling dear of mine, play 'the Lady of Shallot.'" She began the song, and sang the words, her father and their servants listening.  
  
* * *  
  
Jessie smiled up at the young man with red hair who sat in front of Nigel. He didn't smile back, which hurt the girl's feelings. What was his problem? The young harper turned her attention back to Nigel, an old friend of her father's, who was smiling and nodding at the British official.  
"The Empire needs you, Mr. Quartermain." Jessie stifled a giggle. She loved this ploy of her father's, because it gave him more time to spend with her instead of always telling his stories. Jessie'd heard them billions of times as bed time tales, and that was how she loved them best, fairy tales and adventure stories told in small doses every night by her father. She adored the sound of his deep voice as he would whisper softly of the dangers he'd faced, or recount the many battles he'd been in. He'd done the same when she'd been a baby. She'd always loved his stories.  
"But the question is, do I need the Empire?" Her father put his book down and looked over at Sanderson Reed. "I'm Alan Quartermain. This is Nigel, he keeps the story seekers at bay."  
"Best I toddle of now, Alan?"  
"Yes, Nigel, you toddle off."  
"Toddling." The older man rose and toddled drunkenly away.  
"Mr. Quartermain, the Empire is in peril." And the two Quartermains, Jessie sitting beside her African nurse, Eulalie, and her Ayah, Lakshmi, Alan gazing on intently, listened to the young Brit. as he told of the trouble.  
"And this puts you in a sweat?"  
"Good heavens, man. Doesn't it you?" Alan chuckled and glanced at the blond child seemingly reading by the fireplace.  
"This is Africa, dear boy, sweating is what we do." Jessie gasped softly, attracting no notice, as she felt the tingling warmth of her power come upon her. Heat seared behind her eyes and she shut them tight. A vision passed before her eyes as phantom sounds assailed her ears.  
  
The sound of shattering glass. The sound of an automatic rifle. The image of her father holding a broken bottle. A man impaled on a rhino's horn. Her father saying, "No, just armor plated." The word Belgium. Nigel's voice crying, "Oh!"  
  
Jessie glanced at Eulalie and Lakshmi. Both women exchanged glances, then sighed in unison.  
"Don' you worry bow a ting, chile." Eulalie said. "Dare are jus sum tings you canna change." The harper stared at the African witch, then at Lakshmi.  
"It is so, Missie Sahib, it is so, as your mama would tell you, if she were here." Just at that moment, the three females heard a shot, and looked to see Nigel collapse against his chair. "So you see, Missie Sahib. Now, come!" Jessie followed her two caretakers behind the bar as they rushed away from the shooting. The young girl peeked over the counter to see her father when she noticed Nigel moving on the floor, groaning. He was still alive! Jessie rushed out from under cover and ran to him.  
"No, chile, you cumma back hea now, you hea me! No, chile!"  
"Missie Sahib!"  
"Jessie!" Bruce, the bartender, looked terrified for a moment before he grabbed his pistol. He'd cover the girl if someone tried for her. Jessie pulled off her tunic and cut a strip from the bottom with her dagger. Folding it up as her father had shown her, she pressed it to Nigel's wound, staunching the flow of blood. At the same time, warmth flowed up her spine as her involuntary healing power kicked in. Nigel would be okay in a minute, just a minute...  
The seven-year-old fell over as a bullet whipped by over her head. She screamed, trying to figure out how to move, which way to go. "Daddy! Daddy!!" Someone scooped her up and tossed her a few feet into Jim, the black man who ran the tavern. He caught her as he fell to the ground.  
"Miss Jessie, don' you eva do dat agayne. You undastan?"  
"S-sorry, Jim..." He shoved her behind the bar and into Lakshmi and Eulalie's arms. "Daddy! What about Daddy?" She shook her head at a strange ticking sound in her ear, trying to make it go away. When a bullet hit the wall to her right, she gasped and scooted to the left, under a chair.  
"Wasn't there another one of these buggers?" Alan asked, then looked around for the women. "Lakshmi! Eulalie! Jessie!" The two dark women stood, looking for the youngest Quartermain. Jessie peeked out from the chair she was under. Her father looking around, seeing no danger. She looked around herself, saw two men lying dead. She slipped out from the under the chair, and screamed when someone grabbed her collar and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Don't move another step!" A large man in a black sweater and trousers hoisted Jessie up and pressed a blade to her throat. "You don't care about an awful much, Alan Quartermain, but you do care about this! You care about her!" Alan's heart began thundering in his chest. This was so like what had happened to Jessie's mother, his beloved Empress of India. He remembered it so very clearly, even after all this time, he remembered. Jessie did, too, though she hadn't even been born then, but the old hunter could see it in his daughter's eyes, hear it in her voice as she cried, "Let me-"  
"SHUT UP!" Jessie bit her lip and stared at her father with pleading eyes. She was silently begging, Don't let it happen, Daddy. "One step, Quartermain, just one tiny step, one sudden movement, and I'll slit her throat. I'll kill her right in front of you, see if I won't." Jessie squirmed, and the steel nicked her skin. A line of blood tricked down her neck and stained her shirt collar. She gasped in fear. Alan's breath came whistling through his teethe. That bastard had cut his daughter. "Oh, look. I've cut her." Alan took a step forward, but dread suddenly filled the young psychic and she shook her head. The steel cut deeper, and the blood came heavier. She whimpered, terrified. "Don't move, you little brat. Be a good girl now and don't move. Don't even think of heroics, Quartermain, I swear I will kill your own child right before your eyes. I will." "Onee a cowud would hught a chile!" Jim shouted. "Silence, you disgusting nig- what are you doing?" Jessie began to fade, literally fade, and the man could soon see straight through her. "You little... oh shit." His arms closed on empty air, and Jessie materialized beside Eulalie, who pushed Jessie behind her. The man stared at Jessie, then at Quartermain's livid face. He ran out the door. Jessie ran to her father's side, and both began walking to the door.  
"Mr. Quartermain, please!" Jessie nearly stamped her foot in impatience at the disgusting, British official. "The Queen is asking-"  
"He said he wanted nothing to do with this!" Jessie stilled the strings of her harp, which vibrated as she walked, but did not look up. "Leave us be, leave our home, and leave Africa." The young royal agent glared at the young Harper and clenched his fists.  
"I will not be ordered about by a homeless, orphaned chit of a bard-"  
"Do not speak of that girl in such a way." Alan raised his rifle.  
"Isn't he a bit far off?" Alan sighed and lowered the gun. "Yes, I thought he was." Alan put his glasses to his nose and raised his Winchester. "I hate getting old." The shot made Jessie's ears ring, but she was used to it by now and paid it no mind. The man fell, and some of the African men dragged him back. Jessie and Eulalie had to run to keep up with Jessie's father's great stride as he walked to the man. "Stop him! I need information! Don't let him-" The man fell. Jessie didn't know what had happened. Was he dead? Her father had hit his shoulder, he shouldn't be dead. "Damn. Bloody poison." Alan snapped. The man twitched once, and Jessie's ears caught a dull booming sound. Terror suddenly clenched her heart like a cold fist. Her mind froze.  
"Daddy!" She cried. "Daddy, the tavern!" The windows exploded in a shower of glass, the walls and roof collapsed, and the door flew out and over the ground by twenty feet as fire engulfed the tavern. Jessie was pushed back by the shockwave into Alan's legs. "Daddy," she whispered, "Daddy..." Her father could've been in there, could've died...  
"Shhh, hush. Hush, little Harper, shhhh, it's alright." The girl bit her lip, and the man who worked for the Queen looked down at her in amazement. His gaze shifted to Quartermain.  
"You may have no love for the Empire, but you do love Africa. The war has shifted here, the place you do care about. If you had ordered the girl to stay put in that tavern..." Alan nodded. "Will you do this for the Queen?" Alan shook his head and lifted Jessie into his arms.  
"Harper girl, my Harper girl, love of my lonely heart, Africa is in danger. What shall we do?" The other man stared at Quartermain. Asking a child for advice? Bloody crazy bastard, he was. But what surprised him most was when the girl replied in a clear voice, free of any child's lisp, "For Africa, I give you my services." She always said that before an adventure, and her harp was what got him through, for that was the only thing that gave him strength, Jessie and her music. Alan Quartermain was a sad, depressed little man. His daughter was a music sprite of laughter, light, and love. And now, he was going to drag her into this again because only she would make him see the adventure through to the end.  
"For Africa and myself, I accept. We will go to London."  
"Shall we?" Her eyes lit up, violet with melted stars.  
"Oh, yes, London, with it's ghostly fog, chilly rains, long nights, muddy streets-"  
"Daddy, I get the idea." Alan smiled, kissed her cheek, and murmured, "Let us go, then, my Harper girl." Turning to Reed, he said, "We're in."  
  
* * *  
  
"Damn the rain!"  
"I like it." Jessie said, taking off her cloak. The cloak was bright crimson, made at Jessie's request, and very beautiful, if Alan had anything to say about it. Jessie slipped off her large overshoes and set them by the door, handed the door man her cloak, hat, and gloves. "The rain's lovely." Alan lifted her up and carried her on his back, her hands clasped gently around his neck, her legs in the crooks of his arms. "Don't you think so, Daddy?"  
"No, and you won't either when you catch your death of pneumonia." Jessie sighed, as if to say, "Oh, Daddy." Alan knew what Jessie saw in the strange London weather: soft, clear waters falling from beautiful blue-gray skies, which never happened in Africa. The fog was not fog, but a mist that perhaps led to a Faery world, glittering in the lamp light like so many diamonds. That was Jessie for you, always finding beauty in things.  
"Ah, Mr. Quartermain. This way." Alan followed the man down a hallway, down a steep set of stairs.  
"It's like we're going to the center of the Earth." Jessie breathed in his ear. Then, "Do you think we'll meet any natives?"  
"Natives?"  
"People native to the center of the Earth. I hear their women are very lovely." Alan stared into her deep blue eyes, wondering if she were serious. She looked very solemn.  
"I don't think so, my harper girl. Where are we going, anyway, Reed? Australia?"  
"Think we'll meet any Aborigines?" Alan laughed at his daughter's eagerness and shook his head. "Rats." Reed glanced at the two and shook his head in bewildered consternation. Coming upon a large, iron door, the younger Englishman said, "Here we are." The door opened, and Alan went in, Jessie clutching him just a bit tighter about the shoulders in excitement.  
"Daddy," she whispered, "look at all those books...."  
"We're not here for reading, pet." He whispered to her, then said loudly, "I don't like theatrics."  
"After Africa's heat," said a voice in the thick shadows of the room, "England's weather hasn't improved your temperament much."  
"Identify yourself," Alan commanded firmly as Jessie began to shiver. She was probably just cold, but her father could smell a slight musk of fear about her as well.  
"I have many names," the Man said as Jessie whispered with him, "My underlings call me sir. My superiors simply call me M."  
"M?"  
"Just M." A man in a suit stood up and moved to shake his hand, but seeing as both of Alan's appendages were busy, held out his hand for Jessie's. "Do I have the pleasure of addressing Miss Jesshiquekah Shaellanderial Kalika Quartermain? The harper prodigy?"  
"Yes, sir."  
"Tell me, Mr. Quartermain, what is this girl on your shoulders? She can't possibly be human, if the files on her are in any way accurate." Alan looked sharply at M, but Jessie merely blinked her huge, blue eyes at the man.  
"My daughter is an extraordinary young lady, with all the wonderful gifts of her mother. If you did research on my extraordinary lady, you would know the gifts of my daughter as well."  
"And, uh, what gifts might those be?"  
"She's useful."  
"Indeed?" Alan let Jessie down and turned to a man wearing a large blue turban, with tanned skin and a bushy, black beard. His outfit was royal blue trimmed with silver. The young harper walked up to him slowly, head cocked to one side. "Indeed. And you are?"  
"Jesshiquekah Shaellanderial Kalika Quartermain."  
"Kalika."  
"Yes."  
"Daughter of Kali."  
"Yes."  
"You have blue eyes."  
"Yes."  
"Your mother was Indian." It wasn't a question. "Your father has brown eyes. So your mother's eyes were blue."  
"Yes."  
"I see... Missie Sahib. I am Captain Nemo, putting myself humbly at your service. I have heard of Mr. Quartermain."  
"And I've heard of you, Captain. Rumor has it you're a pirate." Nemo, with a glance at Jessie, who's surprising blue eyes were fixed on Quartermain, replied, "I would prefer a less provocative title."  
"I'm sure you would."  
"Gentlemen, please, for the child's sake." M smiled condescendingly down at Jessie's gorgeous blond hair. "I have a question. If your mother was Indian, her hair would have been black. But you are a blond. How is that possible?"  
"It's dyed."  
"Oh?"  
"It's naturally brown. I used glamour to make it blond." Jessie shook out her hair, which shimmered from golden curls to a beautiful mahogany. "But I prefer blond." Her hands went up to stroke her hair and went over it, turning it back to its lustrous gold. "It reminds me of my aunt."  
"Jessie Quartermain." M said the name slowly, as if savoring a rare wine. "Extraordinary girl, aren't you? The daughter of the famous hunter." The girl slipped behind Alan's legs, clutching his trouser legs tightly. "Two of the newest members of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."  
"The what?"  
"A group of extraordinary individuals, who at times of great world peril, band together to save the world. And one of our members is late. Harker, a chemist." At the name Harker, Jessie gave a start but didn't speak.  
"Oh, a chemist, eh? Do we get to blow somethin' up then?" Alan looked around.  
"My eye sight must be worse than I thought."  
"No, your eye sight's fine."  
"No games, M." Alan said. The younger British man smiled, murmuring, "Skinner, you have an avid audience." Jessie's big blue eyes were shining with delight, awe, amazement, reverence, you name it, it was probably there.  
"Oh, indeed? What a lovely girl. Hello."  
"Hi. Are you invisible?"  
"Yes."  
"Oh. You're naked. Aren't you cold?" The invisible man laughed.  
"Actually, I'm feeling a slight breeze 'round my nether regions, and I must admit, it's quite refreshing." Jessie giggled. "Rodney Skinner's the name, Miss Bright Eyes, gentleman thief and invisible man! And you are?"  
"Alan Quartermain, sharp shooter, ex-rifleman in Her Majesty's army. This is my daughter." Alan said waspishly.  
"Jesshiquekah Quartermain, harper, sometimes invisible girl, siren, and banshee at your service." She slid down, smiled in Rodney's direction. "I can see you, you know."  
"You can see me?"  
"I can smell you, hear you, feel you, and sense you looking at me."  
"And what might I smell like?"  
"Cigar smoke, scotch, paint, leather, and just... human. And you sort of smell a bit... like a chemical I can't quite figure out... anyway... oh, wow, Romeo and Juliet..." Jessie, losing interest, set her harp on the table, grabbed a book, and opened it. She didn't see the leather overcoat, white paint, black hat, and dark glasses cover the man Alan surmised was Rodney Skinner.  
"They're going to find a cure. That is, if I'm a good boy."  
"And are you a good boy?"  
"You'll just have to find out, won't ya? What's that?"  
"Jessie's harp. Don't touch it, she'll skin you."  
"She has the attention span of a hair comb."  
"Depends on how interesting you are." Jessie, without looking up, said clearly, "The Indian Gentleman is interesting, the Captain." Nemo nodded at Jessie. Jessie set her book down for a sec and salaamed to the Indian man. Then, she buried her nose in it once more. However, she asked, "Who's the lady in the doorway? She's very pretty. Are you a widow?"  
"Yes, I am. Am I that obvious?"  
"Elementary, Miss Harker." Jessie murmured. The woman gave a start. "Yes, you're Wilhemina Harker. I just realized it's you, though. Black mourning clothes, a wedding ring, red hair, green eyes, and a certain scent about you... good evening. Lovely weather."  
"You think so?"  
"Oh, yes. If one went out alone, one might cross the gates between the realm of men into the realm of Faye. I wish I could, but, then, I wish many, many things that never happen. Such is the way of a seven-year-old." Mina, Skinner, and Nemo stared at her for a moment, then looked to Alan for explanation. The aging Brit shrugged. That was Jessie. Nothing more need be understood.  
"Tell me this is Harker's wife, with a sick note." Alan said.  
"Sick would be a mild understatement," Jessie whispered, "her husband's been dead for years."  
"Sick would be a mild understatement," Mina said at the same time, " my husband's been dead for years." When they realized Jessie was speaking along with the widow, everyone looked at her. "How did you know what I was going to say?"  
"I'm a psychic, Miss Harker. Oh, I forgot. Mr. Skinner, Mr. M, Miss Harker, and Captain, I'm very glad to meet you all. I hope I can be of service on this mission." Everyone but Alan stared at M. The girl was going with them?! 


	2. Good Things Come in Threes prt1

Read and review, my fans and non-fans, I beg of thee! Do you people know how important my reviews from you guys are to me? Not the praise, when I get any, because I even enjoy the flamers and critics, but the fact that someone is reading my story and trying to help me fix it by giving pointers... dude. It's like, whoa!  
  
Hey, does anyone know what an "Estelle Lynn" is?  
  
Chapter Two: Good Things Come in Threes prt.1  
  
(In the car)  
  
"You're testy, Mr. Q."  
"My dear, I'd imagine you don't measure danger in the same way I do." Alan said, smiling a bit condescendingly at Mina. Jessie pretended to still be asleep, but she listened intently.  
"And I'd imagine you've quite the library, Mr. Quartermain. All those books you must have read, merely by looking at their covers."  
"I've had women along on past exploits, and found them to be, at best, a distraction, save young Jessie, who's actually useful."  
"Do I distract you?"  
"My dear girl, I've buried two wives, and many lovers. And I'm in no mood for anymore of either." Jessie decided now would be the time to wake up. "Hello, Jess."  
"Sorry. Rain makes me sleepy." To Mina, telepathically, she whispered, "Don't be angry with him. He still misses my mother. He loved her the best." Mina nodded to the child, smiling sympathetically.  
  
* * *  
  
"This is a charming spot. Does Jack the Ripper live here?" Skinner muttered. Jessie shivered. "Sure seems like it. Think he'll kill us?" She asked. The door opened.  
"Dorian Gray?" Alan asked, hand on Jessie's shoulder.  
"I am."  
"We're here by way of M."  
"Ah. M for mystery. As I've already told M, I refuse to-"  
"Dorian." Mina Harker stepped forward, gently pushing Jessie towards Alan.  
"Mina? Do come in... what is that?" The tall, dark haired man nodded in Jessie's direction. "Who are you?"  
"Me? I'm Jesshiquekah Quartermain. Why?" She yawned and clapped a hand to her mouth. "Sorry." Alan lifted her up and ordered, "Put your head on my shoulder and go to sleep, we'll wake you if something happens."  
"Uh-uh, not sleepy." Her eyelids drifted closed, and she yawned again. "Only my eyes and mouth are tired, honest, I swear, I'm fine, I...." Her head hit Alan's shoulder, and her eyes closed once more. She heard voices, but she couldn't make out any words, she was too tired. She started to dream.  
  
* * *  
  
"Jesshiquekah, my love, help me!" Jessie raced through a forest path, trying to peer through thick fog. There was a silhouette ahead of her, so very familiar. It was a boy, with spiky hair, about her age from his size. "Jesshiquekah!"  
"Ash?"  
"Jesshiquekah, help me be free again! Help me, Jesshiquekah!" She ran all the faster, trying to catch up with her dearest friend.  
"Ash! Slow down! I can't keep up, Ash, wait!"  
"Help me, Jesshiquekah! And be careful! Watch out for the ghosts!"  
"Ash!" The shadow-image of the boy was fading. "No! Ash, don't go!"  
  
* * *  
  
She murmured his name over and over, a mantra, until she heard something that made her jolt awake about ten minutes later.  
"Jessie?"  
"There's something weird going on... I thought I heard something." She looked around, brow furrowed. "Daddy, it's the brown feeling, like with the dogs." Alan frowned sharply, looking around the library. He turned his eyes back on his daughter, uncertain. She saw the indecision in his eyes. "I'm sure. It's just like the dogs, and the lion, and the bear. Daddy, I'm absolutely positive! Something isn't right." She whispered softly. "I dreamed of Ash... he said to be careful. I think... I think this is a trap, Daddy. It makes my heart sound... I don't know, like worn violin strings, just about ready to snap and lash someone's fingers. I'm certain of it. I feel a spark of something soft and bright, and when I close my eyes it seems like there's a flash of gold and blue and white and pink, but it still scares me. This is a trap, I know it. Ash was trying to warn me, I know it."  
Alan set her down in a chair, and she reached up for her harp. He handed it to her, noticed how she clutched it to her chest for comfort. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath. Letting it out, she asked quietly, "Mr. Gray, do you have a sheet of paper I may have? And a pencil?"  
"Of course." He handed it to her, looked at Mina for explanation. Mina looked at Alan, who walked over to her. "What's she want it for?" Dorian asked quietly. Alan stared at his daughter for a few minutes, then shrugged, replying, "She's nervous, thinks something's up." "Why would she think that?" "My daughter's a powerful psychic, like her mother. She senses something's off." "Why are her eyes a different color?" Mina asked. "Her eyes change color when she's scared, and right now, there the same color as when she was almost attacked by wild animals a few times. Once, an enemy threw her into a pen with rabid dogs, and her eyes were this one shade of light gray. Another time, in India, her Ayah was attacked by a rabid lion, and when I found them, her Ayah was fine, but Jessie's eyes... they look like that when she senses something isn't how it should be. If she knows there's an enemy before she senses him, her eyes look different. But now, she doesn't know where the enemy is, what it is, so she's frightened."  
"So, what's the paper for?" Skinner asked quietly.  
"She's writing a song, to calm herself down. Or she was, she's done now." Jessie set down the pencil, sighed, and clutched her harp. "Jessie? All finished?" She nodded. Dorian smirked, looked around, then ordered, "Play it."  
"No."  
"Why not?"  
"It's for Miss Mina. She might not want you to hear it, you might tease her."  
"I don't mind, Jessie, really. Let me hear it, and the others." Mina's hand went out to stroke the girl's hair gently. Jessie looked up at her, around at the others. Biting her lip, she began playing, then began to sing.  
  
"A pure human heart and a soul of the light  
sometimes gives into a nature much darker  
a life in the shadows, walking in the night,  
the lovely Miss Wilhelmina Harker.  
  
Her eyes are as bright as the sweetest starlight  
As clear and as pure as the night sky  
Blue as the deep sea or a crystal clear lake  
Such beauty is so hard to come by  
  
Her hair is a river of molten red gold  
Soft as the notes of my harp's tune  
A fountain of ringlets, a cascade of copper  
Framing a face sweet as a full moon.  
  
Her skin is as white as the crescent moon's light  
Clear as a diamond or white gem  
A lovelier lass no one ever may see  
Prettier than the lot of them.  
  
Her voice is as gentle as butterfly wings  
As dear as that of my dear mother's  
My heart it does melt when she doth sing  
In tones as pure as her laughter.  
  
Her eyes they do shine and they twinkle like stars  
Her embrace as sweet as this harper  
Her laugh and her voice are sweet as moonbeams  
The lovely Miss Wilhelmina Harker."  
  
Jessie fell silent, finished the music, and blushed, eyes darting nervously around. She was still frightened, the singing hadn't helped at all, as it usually did. "They say you're indestructible, Mr. Quartermain." Dorian said. "Well, a witch doctor did bless me once. I'd saved his village. He said Africa would never allow me to die." "But you're not in Africa now." Jessie shivered, then started in surprise when she saw something move on the second floor. She looked around, then got to her feet slowly. She walked to Alan, who lifted her up into his arms. The others saw her lips moving, but none of them actually heard what she said save her father. "We're surrounded, Daddy. Gunmen are all positioned on the second floor, their sights are on us. What do we do?" "Are you positive, love? Alright, leave it to me." He set her down on the floor again, and she hugged him around the knees. "Mr. Gray, I presume you're wondering why Jessie's here, are you not?" "If you're suggesting she can actually be useful in a non-entertainment endeavor, sir-" "She can. Jessie, do the thing with your molecules or whatever." Jessie's eyes filled with comprehension. When she was invisible and her molecules spread out, she couldn't be hurt unless she lost concentration and reformed. Crossing her eyes, she thought hard. Her molecules began to buzz, and she felt them loosen, disperse. She loved this ability, for she could see without being seen, and move around without the dangers Skinner faced in his present state of compact invisibility. She heard Dorian swear, and Nemo murmuring in Hindustani, "Kali's name..." Then, a shot went off. Jessie lost concentration. "Nice try, Mr. Quartermain. But, child or not, I won't spare her, either." Jessie sat up, looked up at a man in a mask and fur coat. "First meetings," the harper said indignantly, "usually warrant introductions. You big bully." "Yes. I am the Phantom. You are the so-called League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. You are Jessica Quarter-" "Jesshiquekah! Stupid." The Phantom pulled the trigger on his pistol. The bullet pierced the panel-wood floor next to her. She didn't even flinch, but stared angrily at the evil man. "Bully." "Yes, I am indeed a bully. There, introductions made. And, Mr. Quartermain, I'm scarred, not blind. Drop the gun." Her father let the pistol fall to the ground. Jessie glanced around at all the men with guns. Ooooh...not good. "Your mission is to stop me. This I cannot permit. So, I offer you one-time good deal. Join me." The Phantom said in his thick, German accent. "You think we'd help bring the world to war," Nemo began, indignant. "While you profit from your arms race?" Allan finished. Jessie groaned as the conversation on weapons continued. She was getting miffed. Majorly. Finally, she stomped her foot and cried, "Who do you think you are? We'll never be part of your weapons collection, one of your ornaments! You're nuts! Phantom," Jessie's eyes gleamed, turning a deep blue like the night sky, and her voice changed, becoming older, darker, "you would do well to leave this well enough alone." He opened his mouth, as if to speak, his eyes cloudy as if in a trance. He shook his head. "No," he barked, "no, you can't ensnare me with that voice of yours. I know your tricks." Jessie glared from behind Allan's legs. Suddenly, shots rang out. One hit the wood by the harper's feet. "Jess, orb out of here!" "Nuh-uh!" Jessie's molecules disbanded quickly, and she streamed behind the thick bookcases. She returned to her natural state beside Mina. "I need time..." "Time for what, pray?" "To transform. It's really hard. I don't have time. Fudge muffins...." A man aimed a gun at Alan Quartermain, and Jessie gave a cry of alarm. "Daddy!" She reached out a hand, flicked her wrist, and the man gasped, jerking to a halt and dropping the automatic rifle. Jessie gave a short, piercing shriek. The man and six more around him clapped their hands to their ears to shut out the noise. The child gave a series of rapid shrieks that soon had the men in her path screaming in agony, blood pouring from their noses and ears. Mina looked down at the seven-year-old girl. She wasn't a child anymore. She was a demon. Her eyes burned with inner fire, and her face was a mask of cold indifference. The men dying now would haunt her later, but in the heat of battle, she gave it no thought. When a bullet hit Jessie in the back, she gasped and fell into Mina's arms. Her eyes were glassy, back now to their normal blue color, her face that of a terrified child. "Daddy... Mommy...." A shadow, glowing with a strange burgundy light, wrapped itself around the girl, and Mina blacked out. She didn't know how long she lay there, but several minutes later, everything went quiet, and Jessie's father called to her and the young harper. Jessie, in cloud form, blew herself out from under a chair and reformed. "Who's this guy?" She nodded at a cute boy of about twenty-one or so, with slightly longer than usual, curly blond hair and mischievous blue eyes. He was holding a British Winchester. When he heard Jessie's voice, he turned and winked. He had bright blue eyes, like an angel's. She suddenly felt shy. "Whatever happened to Mina?" Dorian inquired. "Probably hip deep in some kind of trouble," Alan said to Dorian. Mina sighed and rearranged her scarf while coming out from behind the bookcase. "Don't be such an alarmist, Mr. Q," she said, "and my hips are none of your business." Then she gasped as a steel blade pressed against her throat. All the men started forward, but stopped. "Shoot! Go on." The last of the Phantom's men cried. "That's what I thought. That they'd do anything to protect you." As Mina began to speak, Jessie's eyes suddenly changed color, going black. She stepped forward, capturing the enemy's attention. She intoned the same words: "Now, you see, that was your first mistake, thinking I need them to protect me..." And when Mina transformed and attacked, Jessie watched. Then the two females of the LXG looked at the group. "Boy, they told me European women had funny ways. You missed a spot." "Oh, excuse me. And you are?" "Special Agent Sawyer, at your service." Jessie couldn't help thinking she liked his voice, very much, even though it didn't have the cultured British accent she expected in light skinned adults. She was only seven, she didn't know everything, she supposed. But she definitely liked his voice. It was warm and soft. And his face. He had a very handsome face indeed, the handsomest face she'd ever seen, with an adorable nose, little boy blue eyes, and a full mouth with a slight, natural pout. And she liked his gun. Jessie felt her face grow warm, so she buried it in her father's legs. "I followed you, knocked out a straggler, and took his place." Dorian replied mockingly, "Well, that's very noble of you, truly, but I'm afraid this is a private party and you're not invited." "Who might you be, sir, to say so? You're not in charge!" Jessie cried, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring vehemently. Mina put a gentle, soothing hand on Jessie's shoulder and murmured in her soft voice, "Actually, Dorian has declined, so we are one shy of a full deck." Jessie looked up at Mina and gave her a tiny thumbs-up. The vampire winked. "Actually," the immortal man countered, "the battle was just the spur I needed. That and the thrill of a friendship renewed." Mina merely made a small, non-committal noise. Jessie glanced in slight panic from Mina to Allan. The old hunter glanced at his daughter curiously, and her gaze turned pleading. She mouthed silently, "Bring him, bring him! Bring the American." Alan approached the blond youth. "Is that a Winchester?" "Yessir. Modified, American style." "American style shooting, too." "Well, whatever it takes. I brought two, I got another one in the car if you want it." "Do you have a pistol?" Jessie asked sweetly. He nodded. "May I see it?" Tom looked at Alan, who nodded his permission. The harper child examined the shiny gun with interest. "May I... have this?" "Sure, I've got like, ten." Jessie turned to Alan and nodded, saying, "Oh, yes. He's in, I like him." "You're coming with us, Mr. Sawyer." "Now, wait a minute!" Dorian protested suddenly. "What can he do?" "Since you weren't planning on coming anyway, Mr. Gray, I don't see why you should care." Dorian glared at the "older" Brit, then muttered, "These buffoons destroyed half my library. Of course I care, and of course of I'm coming." "Wait..." In the face of new information to be checked or taken in, Jessie had lost her shyness of the blond American. "You're Thomas Sawyer? The boy who went missing for a week when you were young, then crashed your own funeral? The boy who saved Muff Potter from being hung, because Injun Joe framed him? The boy who rescued Becky Thatcher from the caves you two were lost in, and Injun Joe was there too? That Tom Sawyer? Huck Finn's friend?" "You read my autobiography." "Loved it, thrilled me right down to my toes, though what you ever saw in either Amy Lawrence or Becky Thatcher, I don't know." "I got me a new girl." Tom smiled down at her, and she blushed prettily. "Where?" "Right here." He tapped her nose with his finger, and then flicked his wrist like a magician pulling something out of thin air. He handed her a large, emerald colored marble. It was very pretty, reflecting everything in a world of green hues, delighting Jessie, who loved anything that could even be rumored to be magic. Jessie gasped and cried, "Oh, how pretty! For me? Thank you!" Tom smiled and tweaked her braid. He noticed the others were trying to suppress smiles at Jessie's sweet delight in the simple gift, and were failing miserably. "So, where are we headed?" "The docks." Nemo murmured gravely, though when his eyes rested on Jessie his mouth twitched. "Why?" "To catch a ride to Paris." Jessie's swift intake of breath made everyone turn to regard her questioningly. She murmured breathlessly, "Can we see the Eiffel Tower? Please? Not actually go, but look, maybe?" Alan laughed helplessly. His daughter was a puzzle, alright, a package of grown up wants and child ideas and godlike power. She was so cute.  
  
Yay, it fits the movie better now! I remembered to put everything in finally, because I finally got to rewatch LXG, and made note of all the crap I missed. I spent two weeks of my spring break (that's all of my spring break) getting this done, so I'm owed some reviews, I think. At least 3 per chapter (from different people, obviously) but as my birthday's coming up soon, (like, a week and a half) I think 5 per chappie might do the trick, pretty, pretty please. Okay? Some people may not like getting a review from the same person for each chapter, but I do. I don't even care if it's flames, praise, or constructive criticism, I love reviews, so leave them. 


	3. Good Things Come in Threes prt2

_Disclaimer: I don't own LXG. I also don't own "Hello" and "My Last Breath," by Evanescence. Rewritten with new content, because saw the movie again! Fixed anything missed the first time! ) _

_Jessie: Kisses! Thanks for reading about me. Don't know why you do, I'm not so interesting, really. (scuffs ground with shoe, bashful.) Thanks. Read and review, though, orL.A. might get sad and decide to snuff out my existence. _

_Me: Do you think I'd be so cruel? _

_Jessica: Do you wish me to be untruthful? _

_Me: Okay, ya know what, go to your room! R/R, please! I need it, it's my anti-drug... I'm just getting lamer and lamer, do you realize this? R/R to cure me of my terrible disease of lameness! _

_Hey, does anyone know what an "Estelle Lynn" is? _

* * *

**Chapter Three  
Good Things Come In Threes _(pt.2)_**

* * *

Jessie shivered and pulled her cloak tighter. It was very cold, but it was cloudy, and there was no fog or rain. She couldn't find it a bit romantic at all.

"Jessie, I know what you're thinking." Alan murmured. She looked up at him, blue eyes wide and quizzical. "You're bored with your surroundings."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"No sparkling rain, no stars, no magic mists, no nothing but black-gray skies and cold, cold, cold." She sighed, disappointed.

"Go... go talk to Dorian, he must have something interesting you would want to hear." He noticed Tom, Nemo, and the others listening. "Or, you could sing, make the night interesting." He knew she would refuse. She was too annoyed with the colorless environment, the lack of romance.

"Sing here, now? I'd rather be eaten by a giant squid." Skinner snickered, but Jessie was not to be entertained. "I'd rather be lost in an underground cavern, stuck there in search of treasure, trapped there for all time. Nuts." Then, something caught her fancy. The night was cold, and she was cold. The streets were muddy and slushy. The wind stung her face, making her nose tingle. She could almost imagine herself a beggar princess, thrown out into the world. The thought, that there was some adventure to be had, made her smile.

Alan saw.

"Sing now?"

"Most assuredly." She began singing "the Highway Man," and finished just as they reached the dock.

"This will be a most excellent hunt, I'll wager." Allan said to his daughter.

Mrs. Harker murmured, "You make him sound like some kind of animal."

"Speaking of which, Missus Harker, an explanation of your conduct, a moment ago."Alan said. Jessie scowled at her father but said nothing as Ms. Harker looked at the ground.

"Yes, we're all aquiver with curiosity." The invisible man encouraged. Mina cleared her throat and walked a few steps ahead of the others, then went still.

"Well, as you know, my husband was Jonathan Harker. Together with a doctor named Van Helsing, we fought a dangerous evil. It had a name, Dracula, he was Transylvanian."

Skinner interjected sarcastically, "O-oh, European? One of those radicals the newspapers like to report on?"

"I wouldn't know, Mr. Skinner." Mina's voice was deceptively soft and gentle, even as she bared her throat to show the scar from the famous vampire's dark kiss. "Is the Vampiric sucking of people's blood considered radical behavior?"

No one answered, all looking at the ground. They were filled with sympathy for the woman. Jessie was, too, but instead of being depressing and mournful about it like the grown-ups were, she simply hugged Mina and said in a small voice, "That's okay, Miss Mina, we still love you anyway." The vampire lady flashed the child a grin, just as the water began to churn violently behind them, making Jessie gasp and run to the edge of the dock to look.

"Ah, our transportation is forthcoming." Nemo said, his voice edged with a hint of pride.

Tom looked skeptical. "A boat?"

"If that's what I think it is, then it travels on water, if that's what you mean, Mr. Sawyer." Jessie whispered in a voice hushed with excitement.

"And beneath it," Nemo added.

"Oh, oh, if only Mommy was here, Daddy!" She whispered just as something large and ominous rose from the water. "Oh. My. Goodness. Christ bananas. What in the world is that?" Jessie stared up and up, looking at the large, strange ship. It was white, gray, and silver, and when Jessie reached out to touch the bow and then slipped, she nicked her palm against it, it was so sharp. "Is that... is that the Nautilus, Captain? Is it?" She asked in rapture, sucking on the cut she'd received to relieve the sting.

"Yes, Missie Sahib. Behold, Nautilus, Sword of the Ocean. Come, take rest in my submarine. I'll take care of that cut of yours."

"Nah. It doesn't hurt, it'll be fine. But, wow... first an automobile, then a submarine. You are the smartest man in the world, Captain... well, second smartest. Daddy's first."

Nemo smiled inwardly at the child's devotion. His own parents couldn't have hoped for a more loyal child. He wondered briefly, almost detachedly, whether Jessie would consider the League her family, ever. Probably not, but it didn't matter. He had no desire for a child who followed him about everywhere, aggravating him, asking questions. Yes, he murmured silently to himself, decisively, he would not give his heart to Jessie as was his very bad habit with children he gave shelter to aboard the Nautilus. She would not steal her way into his soul. No, never will happen, not ever.

As Nemo was making these promises to himself, Jessie was looking at the deck of the ship. It was highly polished wood, light brown, sunny looking, she thought. Having never been on a boat where she was allowed on deck, or where'd she been awake enough to notice it, or allowed anywhere that wasn't her room, she was amazed. The harper wished all boats were like this, so big and spacious, so interesting. She could get lost on this ship, she realized suddenly, and wander back into time, to the past, into the realm of the dead, and meet the ghosts of long dead crew men... she shivered in morbid, macabre delight. She walked up to the very edge of the deck, looking over the rail. The sea was black as midnight, black as a witch's heart. The moon just barely peeked through the clouds, shining a bit of light on the water. Jessie sighed in adoration. She loved the look of it, the baby moonbeams on the black waves.

"Jess, come on. You need to get settled, it's past your bed time." Alan called from the door to down below deck. Jessie groaned and went to him. She felt something nag at the back of her mind, but it was pushed aside as she descended the stairs with the others. She looked around, down hallways and through portholes, but she wasn't impressed. They were above the water still, with nothing interesting to see. She sighed in disappointment. "Jessie? What's wrong, pet?"

"Don't tax yourself, Daddy, it's nothing." She bit her thumb, thinking hard. Questions were revolving around her brain, giving her a headache because they wouldn't shut up. She wondered what she would see when the submarine went beneath the water. Then, shrugging, she decided it didn't matter. Her eyes darted to someone walking far ahead of the group. Now, who in the world... "Who is that, Captain?"

"Oh, he's my first mate."

The man, upon hearing Nemo's voice, stopped, turned, and waited. The man smiled when Nemo nodded in his direction. "Call me Ishmael. You met me in the automobile, but I believe you were asleep."

"The Ishmael?" Jessie asked breathlessly. He nodded, replying, "Yes, the one who went hunting the great whale with Captain Ahab."

"I remember, I know. You said, 'Call me Ishmael. Some years ago, never mind how long precisely, having little or no money in my purse-'"

"Memorize the whole book, did ya?"

"Indeed, that, and many others. It was a true story, wasn't it?" He nodded. "Alright. I often wondered..."

Ishmael asked, "Bit young to be reading the books, ain't ya?"

Jessie shrugged, replying, "What would you do, with no others to play with? I cannot play my harp all day, it's bad for my fingers, or so says Miss Eulalie. So, I read. Most others my age cannot stand books, but I love them."

"I'm glad to hear that. Younglings need to read more, they do. I'll be bidding you a good evening, then, Mistress Reader." Jessie smiled. "Good night, Captain." Ishmael went off.

Jessie turned to Nemo. "I like him. I don't suppose you have Mr. Arronax on board as well, Captain?"

"Sadly, Mr. Arronax died, Missie Sahib, a few years ago."

"Nuts. I did want to meet him." Nemo stared at her as she went back to Alan's side, slipping her tiny hand into his. That girl was a puzzle, indeed.

"Come, your quarters are this way." Nemo showed them their rooms, and Jessie was told firmly to dress for bed and actually sleep. She nodded and slipped inside, shutting and locking the door with all three locks. Then, putting her hand against the door, she shut her eyes and concentrated. A light, a pale blue, glowed beneath her fingertips. She smiled when the light faded.

_See if you can get through **that** lock, Mr. Skinner,_ she thought smugly. She didn't bother changing her clothes, but merely slipped off her cloak, coat, shoes, and socks. Then, she set her harp at the head of her bed, making sure the case was firmly tied shut. Punching the pillow, she fell onto it, falling asleep.

* * *

Jessie rarely dreamt, but when she did, what she dreamt always came to pass. Now, she was locked in a strange nightmare, unsure whether this could actually happen. She tried to wake herself, knowing she was dreaming, but she could not. So, she watched the strange events unfold.

A man in a black suit was holding a gold pocket watch, looking at a wooden box. In the box were glass vials of turquoise and amber liquids.

Then, the image changed, to a large, red haired giant with a nasty smile, wearing only a pair of black trousers. The man was strangely proportioned, his chest and arms massive, his legs only slightly larger than average. His eyes, though, were like the eyes of the first man. Jessie felt something slipping through her mind, trying hard not to be noticed, but she caught the elusive bit of information.

_Edward. _

The man's name was Edward.

_Henry. _

So, if this was Edward, who was Henry? The first man, maybe? Who were these men?

The view shifted again, to a woman with long red hair and glowing red eyes, eyes like a demon's. Her face was pale, the skin stretched taut over the bones so she looked like a demonic skeleton. Her claws were outstretched, red with blood, as were the woman's long fangs. There was a horde of bats, legions of them, all around her. But, even with all the changes, Jessie knew who this was.

_Miss Mina. _

Then, the image shattered. She was in the forest again, running over the wood path. Where was this leading?

Then she saw him.

_Ash._

Her darling Ash.

She ran faster, nearly tripping over her feet in an effort to keep up with the gliding shadow of her boyfriend. "Ash! Wait, Ash!"

"Jesshiquekah, be careful! I need your help! We all do! You're in danger! You've got to be careful!"

"Ash, what is it? What's the danger!? Ash! ASH!!" and suddenly the forest faded, and she saw the Nautilus, three large, gaping holes in the hull of the large submarine. Everyone but her was on the deck... everyone but her and Dorian. Where was Dorian? She saw him off to the side, spotlighted, snow swirling about him seemingly from absolutely nowhere, cane in one hand and what looked like a picture in another. M was standing behind him, smiling.

Jessie turned, confused, and saw another picture, of the first two men, Edward and the other. Edward was swimming through water, in a large, glass tub. The other man... Jessie could see his reflection in the glass opposite Edward, but she didn't see the man himself. What was her subconscious trying to show her?

But her mind wasn't finished yet. Jessie was suddenly buffeted as if by wind, spun about until she fell to the ground, dizzy. Looking up, she saw her father on the ground. Alan lay in a pool of blood, a knife sticking out of his back, and a bullet hole in his chest. Jessie's eyes went wide. Everything she had ever seen had always come to pass. But not this. Not this, no, not her father, dead...

"No, Daddy... no, no, NO!"

* * *

Jessie sat up so fast she hit her head against the bottom of the top bunk bed. Falling back, hand to her forehead, she gasped for breath, trembling. She was going to be sick, she was going to faint, she was going.... Her calmer mind-voice took over. She was going to get up, as it was morning, calm down, get dressed, and find her father, to talk to him. It was that simple. Yeah... yeah.

The harper put on a clean white shirt and a dark green tunic, as well as a fresh pair of black pants. Slipping on her black leather hunting boots, she suddenly felt better. After brushing her dirty blond hair, she braided it deftly in a thick braid, reweaving the feathers, beads, and seashells into the baby fine strands. She washed her face, brushed her teeth, and picked up her harp.

Slipping out the door, she looked around, trying to see where she should go. A smell hit her nose. Oh, blueberry pancakes...She also smelled leather, paint, scotch, and cigar smoke. Something was moving behind and above her, and it was about to touch her. She heard breathing that wasn't hers, and the sound of flesh sliding against flesh.

"Mr. Skinner, I can see you. Don't bother trying to scare me."

"Damn."

"My virgin ears." Jessie giggled when the invisible man made a rude noise of derision. "So, where is everyone? I smell pancakes, which means, I hope, breakfast, but I can't trace it, really."

"Follow me, my freaky little darling." He slipped on a leather overcoat and a black hat. "Oh, just a moment." He smeared the white grease paint on his face and doffed the dark glasses. "Ah, yes. Suitable for travel and high adventure. Would you do me the honor of accompanying me, Ms. Q?" He held his arm to her, and she took it, following him to the mess hall. But as they were walking, she realized that, in her dream, Skinner hadn't been on deck either, but also in her dream, Dorian had carried a faint whiff of cigar smoke, leather, and paint.

* * *

"Skinner, where have you been keeping her?"

"Calm down, Mr. Q, I only escorted her to the mess. I've been a perfect gentleman. Of course, I also tried to win her heart. Miss Bright Eyes will tell you all, I bet, about my amorous advances, and then I shall find myself walking the plank."

Jessie giggled and sat down. Alan simply scowled at the invisible man. His daughter sighed and tugged his sleeve.

"Daddy, I need to tell you something." "What's wrong, my harper girl?" Quickly, she told him about her dream, trying to remember everything. She even told him about Ash and his warning, even though she knew her father disliked him. When she finished, Alan nodded slowly. "Edward Hyde was the man you saw, and yes, Henry was the other man, Dr. Henry Jekkyl. I don't know what the rest might mean, though the thing Dorian was holding was probably his portrait. But... you say Dorian and Skinner were the only ones not with us, besides you?" She nodded. "Hmmm... I don't know what it might mean, love. We'll be on our guard, though, I promise. And nothing is going to happen to me, I swear."

"But, Daddy, it always comes true."

"I promise, love, nothing will happen. Alright? You should eat while we have the time." He gave her a plate of buttered and syruped pancakes, and she began to eat, still unsure. "Well be in Paris soon. We're going to meet the good doctor. He's part of this little band."

"Is he nice?"

"I don't know. What do you think?"

Jessie thought a moment, then nodded. "When I saw Edward, I mean Mr. Hyde, in my heart I was cheering for him. He was trying to do something good, I'm sure of it. Something only he could do. It's... it's all very confusing, but... oh! Another thing. In Dr. Jekkyl's box of serum, one of the blue ones was missing."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. I'm sure."

"Keep this to yourself for now, sweet. Alright? Promise."

"I promise. I won't tell, I promise."

"Good girl. Eat."

* * *

"Oh. My. Goodness." Jessie whispered, watching the large giant of a man raging in the confines of the chains. He was like... like a wild animal. He's like the rabid bear. Jessie watched in awe and slight trepidation as the man exhausted himself slightly. When the others stepped close, Jessie closed her eyes, then opened them quickly. With her eyes closed, she'd seen a flash of silver, like a knife or dagger. She had heard someone say "Ow! You scratched me." She shook her head and focused on the beast man. His fiery, bristly red-blond hair (it looked reddish to me, if I'm wrong, I'm very sorry) stood on end. His face was red, the veins in his neck bulging. A vein throbbed at his temple. He was a thousand times worse than in her dream. She had a feeling he wasn't so nice in a temper. The man murmured something to the grown ups. Alan walked in, looked first at the giant, then at Jessie, then marched up to Hyde.

"Mr. Hyde, you've done some terrible things in England, so terrible you fled the country. Now, the Empire needs your help, and I'm ashamed to say, Her Majesty's government is willing to offer you amnesty in return for your services." Edward Hyde stopped pacing and stared at Alan. "Also, someone whom you'd like to meet. She can ensure your good behavior."

The hunter beckoned to Jessie and she stepped out of hiding.

Edward Hyde stared at the young girl, unsure what to say. She was beautiful, blond and blue eyed, with light skin, her eyes large and sparkly, her hair tied in a thick braid. She wore a modified tunic of dark red, with the sleeves cut out, and black breeches, with small, red leather slippers with upturned toes. She looked like something out of the Arabian Nights, and in her small hands she carried a gothic harp. What was odd about her was, her eyes held an ancient, wise look. It would have been an old look for a girl of twelve, but he knew this girl was barely older than five or six, seven at the most. An he wasn't attracted to her, not like he had been to some of those younger whores in London and Paris, but more in a protective way. Something in him- not Henry- screamed and clamored for him to protect and watch over the child.

That was not his way at all, though.

"How can she ensure my good behavior?" He leered at the child. She merely sighed and shook her head in affectionate exasperation.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Mr. Hyde." Allan snapped.

The girl looked at Edward with awe, sympathy... and respect. Affection. This was new. "You want to go home, don't you, Mr. Hyde?" She asked him kindly.

"Edward," he said gruffly, then, "Home. Home is where the heart is, that's what they say. And I have been missing London so. Its sorrow is as sweet to me as a rare wine." He knelt to look Jessie in the face. She met his eyes squarely and didn't flinch when he grinned, showing off his not so pearly white smile. In a deep, husky voice, he said to her, "I'm yours." He was surprised when she smiled happily, murmuring, "Good."

Edward rose and began pacing. He looked over at the others, focusing on Tom.

"Don't be afraid."

"Who says I'm afraid? Who's afraid?" Tom asked condescendingly, then jumped back when the other man roared, "You are! You do! You stink of fear! It's a stench that surrounds you!" Dorian smirked at the display of temper. Alan nodded to Jessie, thinking to her, Calm him. Jessie began to sing a song she'd written about herself when her mother had died, something slow and sad, haunting. It was called "Hello."

_"Playground school bell rings... again.  
Rain clouds come to play... again.  
Has no one told you she's not breathing?  
Hello. I'm your mind giving you someone to talk to.  
Hello...."_

Everyone stopped talking and stood still, listening to the song. It was a child's lament, breaking their hearts. Mina bit her lip against the unreasonable urge to cry. Tom blinked rapidly in amazement. He suddenly felt as if the world was going to end.

Was Jessie doing this?

_"If I smile and don't... believe  
Soon I know I'll wake... from this dream.  
Don't try to fix me, I'm not broken.  
Hello.  
I'm the lie  
Living for you  
So you can hide.  
Don't cry."_

Edward Hyde wasn't moving, mesmerized by that lovely, heart shredding voice. Was that the girl singing? How could it be that she could put such sorrow behind such painful words? He heard Henry, the weakling, almost in tears at the sweet tune.

_"Suddenly I know I'm not sleeping!  
Hello, I'm still here....  
All that's left of yesterday..."_

Jessie trailed off, the song finished.

Edward suddenly roared, "Another! _Sing another!_"

She began to sing "_My Last Breath_."

_"Hold on to me, love.  
You know I can't stay long.  
All I wanted to say was  
I love you and I'm not afraid.  
Can you hear me?  
Can you feel me in your arms,  
Holding my last breath?  
Safe inside myself?  
Are all my thoughts of you?  
Sweet raptured light,  
It ends here tonight."_

Edward began transforming, he could feel Henry taking over, feel himself being shoved to the back of Henry's mind, but he didn't care, so long as that girl continued singing. Who was she? Where was she? He didn't care about that either, he realized as Henry took control. He just wanted her to sing. He began paying close attention as the second verse began ending.

_"I'll miss the winter,  
A world of fragile things.  
Look for me in the white forest  
Pining in a hollow tree  
(You'll find her there)  
I know you hear me.  
I can taste it in your tears!  
Holding my last breath?  
Safe inside myself?  
Are all my thoughts of you?  
Sweet raptured light,  
It ends here tonight."_

She finished the song, and stepped into view as the man before her transformed into Henry Jekkyl.

"Jesshiquekah Quartermain, at your service, sir."

"Doctor Henry Jekkyl, at yours, my lady. You're voice is lovely."

"Thank you."

"Are you part of this extraordinary league, then? A girl your age?"

Alan cleared his throat. "As you no doubt already know, Dr. Jekkyl, Jessie has great powers of her own. Welcome to the League of Extraordinary Gentleman. Well... then the League is set."

Nemo got everyone's attention. "And so is the date of the conference. We have two days to get to Venice."

Tom laughed and turned it into a cough when Jessie kicked him. "Two days? Can this canoe do that?"

Jessie's eyes darkened slightly as she whispered along with Nemo's voice, "You underestimate the Nautilus. You underestimate her greatly." Tom shuddered, crying, "Jess, it freaks me out when you do that!"

"Sorry. It's hard to control the channeling." She looked sheepish for a moment before she yawned widely. "I'm not tired, I'm not, I'm wide, wide awake... Daddy, can I go to bed now?"

.

.

_End of Chapter Three_


	4. Two Days Ere Venice

A/N: Just a look into a day on the Nautilus where nothing from the movie happens. Read and review, please, and I shall huggles you all day long! Flames and criticism accepted, will be read as well, and respected. However, I ask that, when you say you dislike something, you tell me why, and not "because I do," because that doesn't tell me anything and I can't fix it if I don't know what's wrong, ya know? Thanks, most respectfully.  
  
Hey, does anyone know what an "Estelle Lynn" is?  
  
Chapter Four: Two Days Ere Venice  
  
"Who was that charming girl?" Henry asked Allan. It was morning, the next day, and though he looked almost like a ghost, he had a soft smile on his face. "An extraordinary voice... does she belong to someone in the League?"  
"My daughter," Alan replied, then scanned the mess hall once more for the blue-eyed harper. She had yet to arrive that morning, and it was getting late. Alan felt a bit worried. "Sawyer," he suddenly called, "can you fetch Jessie for me?" The blond American nodded and left. Alan couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He knew it wasn't life threatening, but he knew that Jessie was in trouble.  
  
* * *  
  
"Stop it! Give it back!" Jessie jumped up to catch the harp being tossed back and forth, but she was too short compared to the tall ten- and eleven-year-old boys taunting her. "Don't, you'll break it! STOP IT!" The boys merely snickered. Jacob tossed it to Mathew, who threw it the ground and stomped on it. Jessie's eyes went wide as dinner plates as the wood splintered and cracked. Her arms fell to her sides. Her harp was broken. They'd destroyed her harp. She'd done nothing to them, except be there at the wrong time, and they'd destroyed her harp. Jessie felt like kicking them, like crying. Something welled up in her throat, threatening to choke her. Her mother had given her that harp before she'd left. Her mother... Jessie gave a cry of anguish. The scream in her mind, however, was much louder, and it reverberated through the corridors of the Nautilus.  
Tom flew around a corner and saw Jessie on her knees, crying silently, surrounded by the remnants of what the American knew to be her precious harp. A half dozen boys were smiling meanly, some laughing at the display of tears. When Tom approached, their smiles faded and they ran. The special agent then knelt beside Jessie, putting an arm around her shoulder.  
"Come on, Jess, we'll fix it."  
"I don't know how. Tom, music's my strongest power. What can I do without it?" She didn't even bother hiding her tears.  
"It's no big deal, Jess, I'll have it fixed in a jiff, on my honor."  
"You can't."  
"Can, too. Promise. Watch me."  
"Oh, Tom..." The special agent realized this was a big deal to her, and so, to comfort her, he hugged her and petted and stroked her hair, every once in a while murmuring a gentle, "There, now, Jessie girl, it'll be okay, honest Injun, Jess..."  
  
* * *  
  
"I can't." Tom moaned, falling into a chair. "I don't get it."  
"You promised her." Nemo murmured reproachfully. "You must do it."  
"Captain, with all due respect, if you know so damn much, you fucking do it." Tom snapped, looking at the harp. It was fixed, or almost fixed, except for the strings. He couldn't get the strings right. Jessie had told him that the strings were extremely important. Damn.  
A knock at the door, and Dorian Gray walked in, looking smug. "Finished yet?"  
"Sod off." Skinner snapped. "You know we can't finish fixing this damn harp. Either be useful or go to hell."  
"Give it here, imbeciles."  
  
* * *  
  
"There you are, now go... go play outside." Dorian said coldly. Jessie didn't move, but simply inspected the harp for a few minutes, then looked up at the immortal. "What are you waiting for? Shoo." Jessie smiled and hugged Dorian.  
"Thank you." The harper said, and skipped out the door. Dorian stared after her for a moment, then tried to shrug off the peculiar sensation of the child's embrace. A peculiar warmth had settled around his heart, but he shook it off as heartburn. So the girl had hugged him, shown him a slight bit of affection. What girl that he'd ever met hadn't? It was no big deal, after all. Right?  
Except this time it was true affection, not gratitude for wild, hot sex. Dorian ignored the nagging voice in the back of his mind.  
  
* * *  
  
"Ugh, Daddy! It's science! Who needs science! Math, yes. English and history, yes, but not science! Who wants to know how frogs spawn tadpoles, anyway? That's weird." Jessie gave Allan her best "set-me-free" look, and the sharpshooter sighed. "Alright," he cried dramatically, "go, away with you! You are free, Lady." With a whoop, Jessie grabbed her harp off the table and sped off. Whistling "Jingle Bells," as it was close to Christmas (A/N: a month was close when I was her age) she went in search of adventure. "Miss Mina? Miss Meeeee-nuh?" Jessie saw the door was closed to Mina's lab, so she sighed and went in search of Skinner, who was out on deck with Tom. "Oh, my two favorite people. 'Oh, frabjous day, callooh, callay.'" Jessie smiled as Skinner said, "The Jabberwocky, by Lewis Caroll." "Indeed." "So, my freaky little darling, what's the momentous occasion?" "I'm bored." "Gee, thanks, love." "Tell me a story." The Invisible Man looked down at Jessie in something akin to panic. He cleared his throat and repeated, "A story? Well, uh... once upon a time...."  
  
* * *  
  
By the time Skinner had finished the story, Jessie had fallen asleep, and again, she dreamed. Everything was darkness and water, and Jessie was floundering, for she didn't know how to swim. Men, bathed in shadow and unseen, were shouting and praying, in French, English, Hindustani. Men cried out to Allah, to God, to Vishnu. Jessie was praying silently for someone to help her from the water when suddenly the water began to ebb, draining away. Jessie was suddenly flung onto a dry floor of white marble, gasping and choking. She heard a voice. "You see, my voice isn't the only thing being played right now. While you all have been listening, sound waves higher than any human being can hear are being transmitted to crystal sensors placed throughout the ship." Dorian's voice, oozing contempt and high-handedness, hissed, "Sensors attached to bombs. Bomb voyage." There was the sound of something crashing to the floor, and the harper was thrown to the ground by a shuddering explosion. Jessie cried out, but then found her feet again. She stood up and saw she was in a stone building, and she saw Tom walking down a hallway. He stopped and turned, calling, "Skinner!" Something in Jessie began shrilling in alarm. "Skinner, it's me!" Panic took hold of Jessie, and she cried, "Run, Tom! Get away from him! It's dangerous!" A silver knife appeared out of nowhere, and caught the light of a torch. The reflection flared disturbingly bright, blinding her, and when she could look back, she saw her father. He was standing over a man, rifle cocked and ready to fire. The man reached up and ripped off a mask, revealing a very familiar face. It was M. But instead of lowering the rifle, Allan hissed, "You? You dirty bastard." The image faded into blackness. The seven-year-old saw Dorian holding a pistol, and Ishmael lying on the floor. The scene shifted, to Mina, Allan, Tom, and Dorian driving away in Nemo's automobile. Finally, she saw Tom, a knife to his throat, head back as if pulled by an invisible hand. And again, she saw Ash. But this time, it was just Ash. His gorgeous, spiky, ash-blond hair, his beautiful green eyes, his loving smile. She rushed into his arms. "Ash, Ash! What have you been trying to tell me? What's changed?" The Druid looked down at the harper, replying, "The moon is full, and it's getting closer and closer to the Solstice. Jesshiquekah, my dearest, darling Jesshiquekah, you must swear to me, by Our Lady of the Wood, that you'll be careful! You are surrounded by dangers, my love, they are all around. You're father is in danger, and so are you. I'm being held captive." Jessie gasped. "Who? Who has you? I can tell Brigid, she'll help you." "Brigid is imprisoned as well. I don't know where we are, but we will be together soon. Our paths will cross, and it will be soon, because we are fighting against a great evil, the Druids and the extraordinaries." The eight-year-old Druid looked certain. "The Phantom." Ash shook his head. "No, Jesshiquekah. Not the Phantom. I've seen the man you mean, from your memories. This is the man I mean." She saw the image sent to her telepathically. It wasn't the Phantom. "Ash, I feel so helpless. You're in danger, a prisoner, and I can do nothing." Tears were streaking down her cheeks. Ash kissed them away. "Everything will happen as it is meant to happen, my darling. Don't worry, because it will neither aid nor hinder the unfolding of events. It will only waste your energy. Now, tonight is the first night of the full moon. It will last for three nights, and then I'll only be able to contact you as I have been. Don't be afraid." "I'll know no fear, Ash." "I'm with you." "And I, with you." "I love you, Jesshiquekah, always and forever, under the moon." "I love you, Ash, always and forever, under the stars." They kissed innocently, as little children do. Jessie awoke, lying on her own bed, her harp on the nightstand. Skinner or Tom must have brought her. She took a deep breath, slid out of bed, and ran to find Allan. 


	5. the Birthday and the Vision

Here's the rewritten chapter 5. I saw the movie again, had to fix it, was driving me up the f***ing wall. New content! Read and review! I crave reviews!  
  
Jessie: Perhaps she's an addict.  
Me: Go to your room.  
Jessie: O-kay. R/R, pretty please!  
  
Hey, does anyone know what an "Estelle Lynn" is?  
  
Chapter Five: The Birthday, and the Battle  
  
"Jessie's birthday?" Henry asked. "Yes, but it's not a big deal. I've already got her gift." Allan said, then jumped in surprise when the rest of the League crowded around him, firing off questions. "Does she like things from the Orient?" "I can probably nick a few things..." "What books does she like?" "I could give her my dead rat on a string."  
  
* * *  
  
"'Once upon a midnight dreary, as I pondered weak and weary, over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, as I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, as of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door." As she said this, a knock came to her door. "'Tis some visitor,'" She said to herself and opened the door. Allan smiled down at her and held out a hand. "Hmm?" "Come on. I have something for you." Jessie sighed, wondering what the big secret was. Having more interesting things to worry about, she'd forgotten her own birthday. "Where are we going?" "The mess hall." "Why?" "Because we are. It could be fate, you know?" Jessie stopped and looked up at her father. Shaking her head, she sighed, murmuring, "If it is, it is, and if it isn't, then it isn't, but if it couldn't be, and was anyway, then it's fate." Allan arched an eyebrow, and she said, "Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, Alice in Wonderland." "I knew that. I did," he insisted when she began laughing. "I did indeed, and you know it. Hush, you." "Yes, Daddy." She skipped off ahead.  
  
* * *  
  
"That was nice of everyone," Jessie mumbled, being carried in Allan's arms as it was late, and she was too tired to walk. "I liked the cake. I forgot my own birthday, how... silly. Strawberry cake was brilliant. And, the... the ice cream was... was...." She fell asleep on Allan's shoulder, eyelashes drifting down to form dark crescents against her pale cheeks. Allan was surprised she hadn't been more upset. As far as she knew, she hadn't gotten any birthday presents, just cake and ice cream (though ice cream was a rare treat for her) and Dorian had even been graceful enough to show her a few magic tricks. Thanks to Mrs. Harker, at any rate, he thought darkly. Now, Allan laid Jessie upon her bed, tucked her in, and kissed her goodnight. It was a shame she was sleeping, because there was an assortment of packages in the corner of her room that she probably wanted to see. "Sleep tight, little Harper girl. May angels wing you to dream land." He stopped at the door to look back at her, so innocent and peaceful, then shut her door and left.  
  
* * *  
  
Jessie's mind was rushing, speeding down avenues of memory so fast that, even asleep, she was getting a headache. Flashes of memory from the last few days sped past her eyes. Then, her strange, inhuman mind sped back farther, past her younger years, her toddler days, her infancy, to when she wasn't even born, being carried by her mother. And she remembered her mother's warning. My Harper child, beware the immortal. Be cautious, be wary. Make your father take care of them all, the extraordinaries. I don't know which, but the immortal. The long lived one. Be cautious, my darling. Beware the water, beware the charming smile, beware the dark confines of the sea charger. Beware one who worships death, beware one who defies it. Beware one who suffers it not, beware one who gives it no thought, my child. Take care. I may not be able to help you then. Remember this, my sweet daughter. Remember... remember... Jessie's mind wouldn't allow her to hear anymore, but jerked her to the present time, and then to the future, and showed her visions. Henry arguing with her father on the dock, his eyes scared. Dorian's sneering face. Skinner watching Dorian, invisible. Dorian taking a photograph of something. Tom, rifle in hand, head hanging in sorrow. Mina and Dorian locked in combat. Henry's smiling face in a porthole, looking out as a reflection at Edward, grinning, saying, "Well done." The images were going too fast to keep up! She saw a portrait, a rotting skeleton with eyes wide and dark, long wisps of white hair flowing from the white skull, teeth rotting from the mouth. Something in Jessie's soul, trying to preserve her sanity, shrieked an alarm, and the child knew what she was looking at. Dorian. She sagged, weighted by the enormity of what she'd seen. Nobody had ever seen the portrait of Dorian Gray, she knew. She knew it. And yet, she had, and she knew what lay beneath that handsome, charming exterior. That old, horrifying thing, dead and rotting... "No!" Jessie hugged herself, shuddering. The image changed to a vision of her mother. Long, straight black hair was flowing down her back, parted in the middle and adorned with a comb of black jade and black ivory. Her clothes were simple, a sari of black silk, and a shirt- the kind Indian women wore- of blood red. Her dark blue eyes were gentle with maternal love, and there was a tender smile on her full lips. Her husband- Jessie's stepfather, she thought- stood behind her mother, and smiled encouragingly. "I'm afraid, Mommy. I don't know what all this means! Is Dorian the one you spoke of? Or Miss Mina? Or who? Mommy, I don't understand my visions, and I don't know how to help Daddy, and I'm scared! Mommy, tell me, what am I supposed to do?" Jessie fell at her mother's feet, but the woman lifted her up into her arms and kissed her cheek. In her head, Jessie heard a sweet voice whispering softly. I'm sorry, my darling. I don't know the futures better than you. You are my daughter, born with my gifts, and among those is foresight. I'm sorry you are so helpless, my love. I have suffered these dreams with you, and I know their meaning no better than you or the gods. Try your best. I'm truly sorry. There is nothing I can do to help you, my child. It is forbidden. To do so would bring death, to me and all I would interfere with. I am so, so terribly sorry. Please, forgive me. It took Jessie a few minutes to realize her mother was crying. Jessie put her arms around her and kissed her. "It's alright, Mommy. I'll manage, and I forgive you." When she was set on her feet, her mother and her mother's husband vanished. Jessie looked around, hurt, then jumped when a man maybe eight feet tall, with pale skin, dreamy blue eyes, and black hair, came and knelt before her. "Who... who are you?" I am the one they call Peredon, Lord of Dreams. Your mother has asked me to bless your night, and rid you of all evils in your sleep. Only I can do such a thing, for I am the Dream Weaver. Will you accept the blessing? "Tell my Mommy... thank you, but no. I need to receive visions so I know what to expect, at least somewhat. Please, can't you just... dull my brain so I'm not as scared?" Peredon looked into her eyes for a moment, then smiled softly. Very well, my Lady. Jessie watched Peredon fade. Ash took his place. "Jesshiquekah, my dearest Jesshiquekah, let me hold you." The Druid boy hugged her tight, and stayed with her as the visions overtook her again. When she awoke, it was just before dawn, and she was lying in bed, calm. For the first time since being on board the sea ship, she hadn't banged her head shooting up from her bed in fright. 


	6. ch6

Please, read and review! Praise, flames, criticism welcome. Just review, me no care! I loves you all, I do! Even those who hate me. If Devin Black is reading this, hi! You're probably not, but if you are, hi!  
  
Hey, does anyone know what an "Estelle Lynn" is?  
  
Chapter Six: Danger Hits Home  
  
When Jessie woke up, she was worried about the future, but when she saw what was in her room, her apprehension vanished like smoke on the wind. She ran over to the boxes on her desk, then looked over to her closet. Beside the door to the walk-in clothing receptacle was a large Oriental changing screen with cherry blossoms and two women painted upon it. Looking at the women, she realized she recognized them. She'd seen them in her Mother's memories: the woman in blue was Pele, the woman in red Yama, goddesses of ice and fire. She smiled when, using her power, she saw the hint of divinity in the pictures. Both paintings held small amounts of the two goddesses' power. She could have sworn Pele winked at her behind her white and silver shukusen, or lady fan. Next to the screen was a large box, and when she opened it, she saw inside a half dozen kimonos, from Japan! She'd known a lady friend of her father's who'd had some lovely ones, and Jessie'd always wanted one. But these were superb: one was blue silk, with a cream colored obi, the stiff sash around the waist, and a white inner kimono, one with an outer kimono of black with golden and scarlet flames, a crimson inner kimono, and a crimson obi. With all six of these Japanese robes were matching slippers and fans, and the fans were of steel and silk, with cute ornaments dangling from the bases. She sighed when she realized how much silk- a material she loved and thought was beyond gorgeous, as her mother had worn it- she had now: silk fans, silk kimonos, shirts, and saris, silk slippers. She grinned. Next came a box of books, classics by Dickens, Shakespeare (A/N: do not start with me, I read the complete and unabridged Romeo and Juliet about a month after I turned 8, and understood it completely. She's 8 now, remember? I had to wait until school ended, that's why it was a month after.) and she found the greatest books of all: hand written accounts of the adventures of Mina Harker, Rodney Skinner, and Captain Nemo. The stories were written in leather bound notebooks, on lovely, crisp white paper. So much history, so much adventure... From Dorian was a gorgeous white dress- icky!- or so she thought, until she realized it was a tunic, embroidered with her favorite design, the Evenstar, in silver. (A/N: in this fic, Tolkien didn't actually write the Lord of the Rings, but was given the books-written by Frodo and Bilbo- by none other than Jessie!) Tom had given her a violet crystal on a silver chain, about the size of her fist that was practically see-through. As soon as she touched it, it began to glow. Something ticked in the back of her mind, a voice whispering unintelligibly in her head. She sensed a deep well of power in the stone. From Henry was a lovely journal, white satin over wood for the binding, the pages white silk. She gasped in delight and set the book back in the box gently. With it came a card signed by both Henry Jekkyl and Edward Hyde. She knew it was Edward for real, because it didn't match anyone's writing, and the paper held two distinct scents: Henry's, and the scent she'd caught when Henry had first come aboard the Nautilus. She smiled. Edward had also given her a gift: perfume, amber liquid in a diamond bottle, that smelled so heavenly she almost fainted. Oh, my goodness...It was stopped with a stopper made from canary diamonds, and tied around it was a white satin ribbon, tied to a small card. The card read: "Valar Loth" She recognized the language: Elvish. Roughly translated, it meant "Blossoms of Heaven." Wow, Elvish perfume! And from her father was a doll. But not just any doll. What a doll! The perfect doll, a gorgeous baby doll so lifelike, she almost thought it was alive. Such a dolly! She was porcelain, with big blue eyes and cinnamon colored hair, real hair. She had a stuffed body, and she wore the clothes of a page: white stockings, black breeches, white shirt, and blue tunic embroidered in silver. And this doll came with several outfits: more page clothes, uniforms from almost every British regiment in their army, dresses of satin and velvet, silk kimonos, American cowboy clothes, so much stuff. She hugged the doll, then looked to see if there was anything else she'd missed. Her gaze fell on something resting on a rack on the wall, and her jaw dropped. Her mother had been worldly, having been many, many places. One of the places she'd gone was Japan, and while there, she'd learned to fight with the weapon of noble women: naginata, the glaive. And having been deemed, after years of training, the best lady warrior in Japan, the Emperor had given her a glaive, a special glaive. The wood was Teak, the pole maybe five feet long, with a blade eighteen inches long. The butt of the staff was shod with iron, the core filled with lead powder. The blade, under the polished finish, rippled with waves of blue on the steel, showing it to be the finest steel in the world. The blade had always been kept sharp, sharp enough to slice a hair when pressure was applied, and a feather quill when there was none. Jessie took such a feather and holding the glaive respectfully, let it drop down onto the sharp blade. The quill sliced neatly in half. Jessie gasped in awe. Her father had given her this, something so special. She felt an enormous sense of honor and maturity in being given this gift. Placing the naginata lovingly on the rack, she dressed, grabbed her harp and her doll, and went off to breakfast.  
  
* * *  
  
"Well, look who's awake!" Henry cried, grinning. Jessie smiled and sat down next to Allan. Tom waved jauntily, Skinner ruffled her hair, and Mina kissed her cheek. Nemo's lips twitched, his beard effectively hiding his tender smile. The harper set her things on the bench beside her and walked over to Dorian. He looked down at her, one eyebrow raised in condescending inquiry. "Thank you, Dorian, very much. It was a beautiful gift. Thank you, so much." She threw her arms around his waist and hugged him. Dorian froze, trembling, unsure what was going on. A peculiar warmth washed through him, leaving in its wake a tingling sensation. What was this feeling? He put his arms around her, hugging her back. Something flickered in Jessie's eyes, her smile slipped, but then it came back up. No one noticed the slip. The seven-year-old watched through half-closed eyes as Skinner slipped out of the room.  
  
* * *  
  
"Where are they?" Jessie whispered, frightened. Her father, Dorian, Mina, and Tom had all driven off, to stop the bombs' domino effect. She remembered clearly the moment they'd gone off.  
  
(Flashback)  
  
Jessie suddenly felt hot, and began to sweat. Fear overtook her, and in her mind she heard the sound of rocks crumbling on top of each other. In her mind's eye, she first saw a row of dominoes falling one after another, then a billowing fireball. Again she saw Mina, Dorian, Tom, and her father racing away in the white automobile, and Ishmael lying on the floor. She saw Dorian approaching Nemo alone. In her head she heard a startled cry from her mother as suddenly, the images shot through her mind, across her vision so fast they were mere blurs. Her mother was praying in Hindustani, and Jessie understood some of it. Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, watch over my daughter in the face of this madness, watch over her. Something snapped in her vision, a loud echo frightening her. She shrieked, jolting herself awake. She was sleeping in a chair on the deck, and as soon as she woke, she ran to Allan. "We're too late, Daddy." The bombs blew. "We have to stop the chain!" Alan cried. "Nemo! We must stake out one key building." "Of course, and stop the chain of destruction before it destroys the city!" Tom cried. "If I had the coordinates, I could fire a rocket! But I have no way of getting those coordinates." Nemo exclaimed. "What are you talking about?" Henry cried. "Jekkyl's right, it's not possible! I'm an immortal, sir, not a gazelle, how do you expect to outrun this!?" Jessie grabbed Tom's sleeve and pulled him up the ramp while the older members where talking. "Jess, what... the automobile?" "I'm too small to drive it." "Get in, Jess girl!" The two got in the car and raced down the ramp onto the pavement. Sawyer spun the car around, with Jessie clutching his arm in excited fear, and cried, "Care for a spin?" "Sawyer, you're a genius!" Alan cried. "It was Jessie's idea." "Nice work, poppet. Come on, Jekkyl. We'll need Hyde!" "NO!" He cried, "Hyde will never use me again." Henry looked away to avoid seeing Jessie's disappointed expression.  
  
* * *  
  
"Aah!" "Jessie!" The child fell from the speeding car and hit the pavement, trying to avoid the onslaught of gunfire. Alan ordered Tom to turn the car, but Mina cried, "NO! This mission is more important than a single life, Mr. Q. Besides, she'll be fine. You should know your daughter well enough to know that!" Back where Jessie was dodging bullets, the enemy men were impressed by her abilities. They were downright horrified when she cried, "I call upon the wrath of Kali, the Destroyer! Smite my enemies!" The harper ran from the sound of crunching bones and agonized screams as the Dark Goddess trampled upon her foes.  
  
(End flashback)  
  
"Where are they? Why aren't they back yet?" Jessie whispered. Somewhere in her subconscious, a voice was whispering Tom . . . Tom . . . Tom. She shivered, trying to shake the feelings of dread overwhelming her senses. Suddenly, she grabbed her harp from the shelf behind her and took a deep breath. She held it, concentrating on loosening her molecules from their bonds. She felt a sense of warmth, and then nothingness. Looking around, she saw in the distorted vision of her puff-of-air self. Whispering, "Goodbye, Captain, Ishmael, Henry, and Edward," she streamed off over the rail of the Nautilus and chased after Tom.  
  
* * *  
  
Tom groaned, eyes fluttering as he fought unconsciousness. He had to get out of the building, he had to, but why? Something was going to happen to it . . . Jessie . . . . Tom tried desperately to open his eyes, to move, but it was too much effort. Nothing mattered, really, except he sleep, he'd been working so hard and he was so tired . . . .  
A sweet, lilting song pierced the fog of exhaustion. Who was that?  
  
"And though the phantoms of this place  
want to steal away your grace  
I'll sleep beside you through the cold  
I will not leave you here  
  
And in this silence I can hear  
all the fury and the fear  
but I promise you, my love  
I will not leave you here  
  
I see, I see, I see  
we move with the water  
I feel, I feel, I feel  
this darkness receding  
  
I see, I see, I see  
we flow like the ocean  
I feel, I feel,  
Oh, God, I don't think I'm breathing."  
  
Tom flexed his fingers, then shoved himself up, propping himself with his elbows. He still couldn't see who was singing, and he had to know. He got to his feet as that glorious angel's voice began singing another song. Tom staggered out of the building, into the street. He saw someone, and nearly fainted. Who was that?!  
  
* * *  
  
There she is, Dorian thought, staring at the angelic beauty before him. This one was so much prettier than Mina, much more desirable. He wanted this golden haired, sapphire eyed witch. And he'd have her. Oh, he would have her. She's all mine.  
  
* * *  
  
Allan staggered towards the Nautilus, where Mina, Henry, and Nemo waited. Tom came from another direction. His injuries were obvious; a concussion, a twisted ankle, the list went on. Mina went to him, but he stepped back, somewhat wary.  
"Don't worry; I've had my fill of throats for this evening."  
"Jessie's gone!?" Allan cried, turning the heads of the other League members. "Where the bloody hell is my daughter!?" Captain Nemo shrugged, obviously distressed at the news he'd given to Quartermain. Mina and the others trotted over. Mina and Henry exchanged a glance, then the doctor looked away, an expression of pain written on his face. Deep inside his subconscious, Edward Hyde began to rage. Within Mina's soul, the soul of the vampire demanded blood. Tom's expression was grim, his eyes determined. Someone had taken the one most precious to them. That person would pay.  
"Skinner must have taken her, I don't even want to imagine for what. We'll get her back, Mr. Quartermain. Have faith." Nemo murmured, then turned at a loud noise. "What in Kali's name?"  
"What is that?"  
"The sound of treachery!"  
  
* * *  
  
Jessie stirred, awakening from her drugged sleep. Her actions during the battle had taken their toll, exhausting her. She'd dropped, practically unconscious, at the feet of her father's employer. Now, she was awake, and starting to freak. She was tied to a steel pole, in the dark, by ropes so thick she couldn't hope to cut through them. She was still too tired to use her powers, and couldn't untie the knots. She was in trouble.  
Where am I? How in the world did I get here? Okay, concentrate, try to find Daddy. She stilled her frantically thundering heart and began to breathe deeply, evenly, trying to separate herself from her body. Her mind unhinged itself from her brain, floating around the room. She was in a workroom of the Nautilus, in the bottom or very near it of the magnificent submarine. She knew that because the vents used for bailing incoming water were on the floor and on one wall, the wall behind her, actually. That almost made her freak out, but she bit her lip and managed to keep calm.  
Her mind wandered up through the ceiling, up and up, to where Nemo, Henry, Mina, Tom, and her father sat. Her father's face was dropped into his hands, and he looked suddenly old, very old. She'd always thought of her father as being so big and strong, but there he looked small and weak. He was probably worried about her. The phonograph was playing a message from M, something that seemed... chillingly malevolent. She realized suddenly what at least part of her dream meant, and why she was here. M was a bad guy, and probably both Dorian and Skinner were working for him. She shivered back in her body, feeling the cool tears coursing down her cheeks at the thought of the betrayal, and watched as Nemo lunged forward and overturned the machine. A deafening boom brought her back to her body, and she looked around and tried to scream. She realized she was gagged. Water was rushing into the room, already up past her ankles. She was in a lot of trouble.  
DADDY!!! 


	7. ch7

A/N: You find out almost everything about Jessie! Quite a bit of talking, but interesting talk, I'd think. If any questions about what they're saying, put them in your reviews, wink, wink. Character evolution, you see. Loves you all, buh-bye! Hi, Stacy!  
  
Hey, does anyone know what an "Estelle Lynn" is?  
  
Chapter Seven: Revelations  
  
Just as the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was thrown to the floor by the explosions, everyone on board the Nautilus heard the familiar, panicked cry of "DADDY!!!" Allan lurched to his feet and staggered towards the door.  
"Jessie! Jessie! Where are you, Jessie?!"  
"Jess! Jess girl, we heard you, where are ya?"  
"Missie Sahib!"  
"Jessie!" The only person not calling for her was Henry. He was staring intently at Edward, or Edward's reflection, rather, that was sniffing and looking around. He turned to his alter ego.  
"We can do it, Henry! You and I, together!"  
"What are you talking about?"  
"I have to find Jessie, Henry, and save her! You do, too! But we can't do it without one another. You and I, Henry, that's the way! Only then are we strong enough! I know where she is, but if we keep arguing, she'll be dead before we get there! We must save her! Please, Henry, drink the formula!" Dr. Jekkyl realized something even as he raced away to the hatches. Edward was in love with Jessie. Not physical love, he didn't hunger for her as he did for other human females, but actually was in love with her, emotional love, romantic love. Edward cared about another person, this man who was supposed to be his evil half, cared for another person.  
"You're right, Henry," Edward said, keeping up through the port holes, "I do love her, with every fiber of my being, with everything I am, I love Jesshiquekah Quartermain. And so do you." Henry carried that thought with him as he leapt down into the frigid waters. He carried that thought with him as he drank the elixir and changed.  
The first thing Edward did was find Jessie, tied to a beam at the bottom of the chamber. She was struggling against her bonds, using up the precious air she'd stored in the breath she was holding. As the alter ego of Henry Jekkyl swam towards the girl, a voice in his mind- it seemed like at least half a dozen voices- cried, No! We will take care of the girl. You must save everyone. Something flashed by him, followed by three more somethings, and five more, and two, and another. As he was turning the wheel on the water drainage hatches, he got a clear look at them. There were twelve... mermaids swimming around Jessie, all of different colors. Each one kissed her lips. What was going on?  
We are like the trees grown on the land. We breathe in what you breathe out, and you breathe in what we breathe out. We are giving her air, until the waters ebb. As the levels of the ocean water began to drop, the mermaids scattered, swimming out of the hole they'd swum into. Your aunt Yemaya sends her regards, Lady Jesshiquekah. That was their parting message as the water lowered to Jessie's chin, to her shoulders, to the rest of her, and then down. In the mirror, Edward saw Henry.  
"Bravo, Edward. Bravo!" Jessie coughed, spitting up water, then moaned. "The girl."  
"Jessie...." Mr. Hyde untied the child and took her into his arms. Her wrists and ankles were raw and bleeding from the ropes, and she was pale and shivering. "I've got you, Jessie. Are you alright?"  
"I'm so c-cold, Edward. I w-w-w-want my D-d-d-dad-d-d-dy."  
"Let's get you out of here."  
"D-d-daddy f-f-first. Pl-please."  
"Alright."  
  
* * *  
  
Alan gave Henry a thumbs-up, but looked sad still, until he saw the girl walking with him. "JESSIE!" The harper ran to her father, who lifted her up and twirled her around, kissing her cheeks. "Oh, my God, Jessie, I thought I'd lost you."  
"You could never lose me, Daddy." She kissed him sweetly, and hugged him tight. "I love you, Daddy."  
"I love you too, my dearest, darling harper girl. Oh, my darling sweet Jessie..." Turning to Henry, he said, almost in awe, "Jekkyl, you... you saved her."  
"It was Edward, Mr. Q, not me. And we had some help."  
"Oh?"  
"Auntie Yemaya sent some of her ladies to help! They were there, Daddy, a whole dozen of them! All of them were so pretty! Do you think Papa Ogunn will help fix the ship?" She cocked her head inquiringly.  
"I think he will, maybe." Mina cleared her throat meaningfully. Everyone turned to look at her.  
"I recognize those names, Yemaya and Ogunn. I also recognize the mark on Jessie's back, I saw it once. Like two criss-crossed peacock feathers. And her middle name, Kalika Shaellanderial. Yemaya is the Orisha of the Sea, and Ogunn is the Orisha of iron, steel, war, and weapons. The mark on Jessie's back is said to be the mark of a child protected by Hera, Greek goddess of married women and children. And her name. Kalika means 'she who destroys,' or 'daughter of the destroyer.' And Shaellanderial is the name of the human child who, in legend, shall be born in modern times under the protection of Brigid, Morrigan, and Cerridwen, the Celtic Goddesses. This and Jessie's powers, are too much of a coincidence. And an Indian woman with blue eyes... I think you owe us an explanation, Mr. Q, of just who and what our little harper is." Alan sighed and set Jessie down. He began to explain.  
"In this world, there is God, and there are the gods. The gods, such as Hera and Brigid, are all children of God, His First Born, the Second Born being the Angels, the Third, the Elves, etc. The Last Born are humans. Jessie's mother was Kali, the Destroyer, Hindu goddess of destruction, death, and rebirth. I met and fell in love with her after the death of my son, after Kali cared for me while I was sick with brain fever in India. It is from her that Jessie gets her powers, and her charmed life. The gods have been Jessie's caretakers since she was conceived. When she was ill as a child, sick nearly to death with scarlet fever, it was Apollo, her uncle, and the Greek god of, among other things, healing, who cared for her. When she was in danger of being killed, the day M first recruited me back in Africa, it was Hera who pulled her from harms way. Just now, when she would otherwise have drowned, it was Yemaya, goddess of the sea, who sent her handmaidens, mermaids to be precise, to keep my daughter alive. Jessie is the daughter of one of the greatest, most beloved goddesses in the Divine Realms, as well as what her Ayah, Lakshmi, refers to as a true princess. The gods, the angels, and all the other great beings, have taken her into their care. She lives a charmed life." Throughout this monologue, Jessie had been thinking, thinking hard, about several things, and suddenly a blinding flash of pain spiked behind her eyes. Next to her, a crystal goblet shattered. She gasped in alarm, then whispered, "Sorry!" The crystal shards picked themselves up and pieced themselves together. When they were all in place, a thin film of black and red mist covered it up. "Sorry. It'll be fixed in a few days. Six, I think. Real sorry." Jessie bit her lip.  
"Missie Sahib, you sense something. What is it?" The seven-year-old glanced at everyone in turn, then said, "Skinner. Mr. Skinner is going to find a way to reach us. He's with Dorian. Mommy says... Mommy says he isn't bad, but knew you would suspect him... oh! Oh, no, nonononono!"  
"What is it? What's wrong, Jess?" Tom cried. Her face was stricken, and she started to cry. "Jess? What is it?"  
"He's got my harp! If he touches it, he can taint it! Make it evil! The spirits in it, they'll be bound to his will! They'll become evil! They're powerful, they can destroy so much, do so much damage! They're almost as bad as Mommy in a temper, Daddy he's going to destroy everything! The gods can't interfere with this, they can't stop him! Lord Peredon said my life force is linked to the harp, if it's tainted, becomes evil, or is destroyed...." She trailed off, choking on a terrified sob.  
"You'll die. Won't you, Jessie? You'll cease to exist." Mina whispered in horror. "He wouldn't be so callous, so evil... to kill a child. Would he?"  
"Mommy says yes. She's crying. All the goddesses are..." Jessie's voice took on a haunted quality, a midnight undercurrent, making her sound much, much older. "The gods are furious. The angels are going to break down the Pearly Gates. They've been locked to keep them from rebelling. The Fae and the Elves are gearing for war. If the demon is allowed to destroy the last child of the gods, all humanity will be made to pay. Hell will be raised, and all of mankind's civilizations will be struck to the ground. Kali Yuga, the end of the age, will come. And Kali decrees, as does Shiva, that this time, rebirth will not be an option. Brahma and Vishnu are in agreement. All the gods forbid the death of their last child."  
Somehow, the League knew this was Jessie, as she would be in years to come, when she was older, much older, and had taken her place among the gods. She sounded so regal, so sure, and yet, so mysterious and powerful. It was hard to believe this was the same little girl they'd fallen in love with. Mina voiced a question.  
"Why are you so important to the gods and their kin, Jessie?"  
"Shaellanderial." She decreed. "And I am their last hope. The gods are dying out, murdered throughout the aeons by the Great Evil. If the child of a mortal and an immortal can become such as they, that child will be the first step in saving the Races. A child as that, born in love, is the key. I am the first child. I cannot die, for if I do, the world will then die. Eventually, no matter what, the gods and the others shall die, but then, there will be new gods, gods like me. But the girl you know as Jessie, while she is still me, is the immature, infant part of me. She knows little of my existence, the goddess within her. She must mature into that power that I represent. And she must do so in ignorance of such a thing. I do not mean to say you cannot speak of this to her. All this she knows, even if she does not comprehend. It is the vast extent of her power, the deep, unlimited strength that her humanity has given her, that she cannot know of yet. If she were to reach the expansive limits of her power, she would die. Her body, still not quite immortal, still growing, still young and small, would perish under the onslaught of that immense strength. She knows this as well, and understands. You must not test her limits, and she must never burn herself out. That, too, would kill her. And what you must not speak of, because you understand and she cannot, is the merging of her selves, myself and herself, and the self she gained through our mother, when she is mature, because you will understand this, and through you, she can as well. But she cannot know of it to understand until she can comprehend it on her own."  
"We understand... almost. These selves... what are they?" Alan whispered.  
"Father..." Shaellanderial murmured lovingly. "I am Shaellanderial, the goddess your daughter is because of you. I am separate from the daughter you know at most times. Kalika, the goddess your daughter is because of her mother, is the daughter Jessie changes into on the battlefield. She is also usually separate from the Jessie you know. Jessie is the combination of the two of us, Kalika and myself, while yet still being separate in her soul. I am the intellect, you may say, Kalika the will, and Jessie the heart, of your daughter. That is the best that it can be explained. If Jessie ever tells you of her imaginary friends, she will be speaking of the two of us, and of Jaesshiquekaaeghh, her final self, who she will become when she is ready. You will know of this when it comes, and you will meet the Great Lady Goddess by that name when she is born, and not before."  
"I think I understand."  
"Good. Good-bye, then, Father." Jessie shook herself, blinked a few times, and smiled.  
"What? Why are you all looking at me?"  
"We're glad you're safe, is all." Tom said. Just then, one of the Lascars came in, announcing, "Captain, we're receiving a transmission."  
  
* * *  
  
"Hello, again, my freaky darlings. And good evening to you, my dearest darling Jesshiquekah. Having fun in little fish, headed north by northeast. Follow in big fish." Jessie's breath drew in sharply.  
MR. SKINNER, IT'S JESSIE, I LOVE YOU, I MISS YOU, BE CAREFUL, PLEASE!!!  
She knew he heard her, because the beacon of mental life she aimed for flickered with startlement, then felt warm and tingly. She knew it was Skinner, because she smelled paint, cigar smoke, leather, and liquor when her psychic tendril brushed over it.  
"Says... 'will do, Miss Bright Eyes.' What does that mean?" The man at the telegraph asked.  
"Jessie just spoke to him." Alan said. "Nemo?"  
"We're going to Mongolia." 


	8. ch8

Hey, peoples, the story's almost over! Is there anything you lot wants to see before the end? Hey, does anyone know what an "Estelle Lynn" is? And be prepared for tears, people, sadness, sorrow, possible confusion, and the inkling of a sequel, maybe, if I get enough reviews, hmmm... oh, and meet some of Jessie's cousins, brief thing, and this is pretty much the end. The next chap will probably be epilogue unless you guys tell me different. Hey, does anyone know what an "Estelle Lynn" is?  
  
Chapter Eight: In the Lair of M  
  
"Alan, I hate to say it," Henry began, "but Jessie hasn't found anything to do, now that the men are all either dead or well enough to work. Her healing powers have worked miracles, but now she's bored." The ex- sharpshooter sighed. Mina had told him the same thing that morning, and Tom yesterday. Nemo was too busy to approach him, but had sent a Lascar only twenty minutes ago.  
"I'll see if Kali will allow Noss, Mana, and Magi to come play with her, out of the way." Henry looked confused. "Three of her cousins. Noss is the daughter of the goddess, Freya. You may not know of her, but the twins, Mana and Magi, you may know, as they're the sons of Thor. They'll stay out of trouble, they always do." Even as he said that, five children ran into the room, followed by the League.  
One was a girl with gorgeous golden curls and sapphire blue eyes. She was smaller than Jessie and the other kids, by about six inches, and looked to be about five. With her were twin boys, both with fiery, wild red hair, and eyes like the sea after a storm. They looked to be of the manly age of nine. The last girl, about Jessie's age, also had red hair, but this red was a deep wine color, and she was an ivory-complexioned child with only a delightful spray of light freckles across her nose, exactly three on each side. They were Noss, Mana, Magi, and Brigid, four of Jessie's divine cousins.  
"Alan, Jessie says you'll vouch for these children. Who are they?" When the matter was sorted out, the children all went to Jessie's room to play until they reached Mongolia. Once there, they bid their semi-mortal cousin adieu, with hugs, kisses, and promises of parental divine protection.  
  
* * *  
  
In the warmth and safety of the cave- which reminded her the lion goddess Viarri's den- Jessie prayed for her friends safety, and her father's. "Mommy, please watch over everyone, and keep them safe. Sharpen their senses, bring them wisdom, and give them an extra edge in battle. I know you'll do what's best, and I trust you, Mommy. Please, please, keep Daddy and everyone safe. Don't let my vision come to pass, please, I beg you. You know I can't live without Daddy. Watch out for everybody, especially him. I love you. Amen."  
  
* * *  
  
"Daddy? I heard a noise." Jessie, wearing her fight clothes, stepped out of the cave. She was the only member of the League unaffected by the chill. She wore black leather hunting boots, black stockings, a black shirt, and a red tunic. Around her neck was a skull pendant, a gift from her mother. The skull was actually fashioned from a piece of cranial bone belonging to Hephaestus, Greek god of fire and blacksmiths. His head was supposed to be the hardest substance known to man. The pendant shone like it was forged from steel. When Jessie wore it, she was prepared for battle, because Aries, Mars, Minerva, Ogunn, Athena, Artemis, Kali, Tyr, Odin, Anubis, Sekhmet, and Shiva, all feared warriors had also blessed the pendant. It filled her with bits of their fighting spirit.  
"Daddy?" She asked again, putting her arms around his neck. "What is it?"  
"It was nothing." Allan said softly, hugging his daughter and brushing snow out of her hair. Mina and Nemo were there behind her. Nemo asked curiously, "An old tiger waiting to meet his end?"  
"Perhaps," Jessie murmured, "it wasn't his time to die." Mina shrieked, and everyone whirled to stare at her. Jessie began giggling as she understood the bewildered look on the vampire's face. He finally managed it.  
"Oh, I've been wanting to do that all week!" "Get a grip, Skinner!" Alan snapped. "Funny, I thought I just did." Mina slapped the invisible man. "Ow! Mina... oy! Hello, Miss Jessie. Ain't you a sight for my sore eyes." He knelt in the snow and Jessie hugged him tightly, kissing his cheeks. "Now, what's all that for, love?" "Oh, oh, Mr. Skinner, you brave, brave thing, you dear! I'm so glad you're a good guy, it nearly broke my heart to even have had to consider you weren't!" Skinner hugged the girl back, drawing comfort from her small little body and loving embrace. Jessie was the first child he'd ever met that he loved like his own daughter or sister, and he was glad to see her. "Well, now. You're very glad to see me, I'd wager, aren't you, little bit? And I'm right glad to see you, I am. Now," to the adults, "might I remind you that I'm standing here, naked, in the snow? I can't feel any of my extremities, and I mean, any of them, Miss Bright Eyes."  
  
* * *  
  
"So," Jessie murmured to clarify, "we go in. Captain Nemo and Edward get the scientists, you and Tom, Daddy, get M, and Mina gets Dorian. What do I do?" "Get that harp back, and destroy the labs. Harp first. What's wrong, Jess?" Her eyes were glazed with telepathic space out, but tears were coursing down her cheeks, and her expression was horrified. "They have the New Druids. Colin, Ronan, Dom, Morgaine, Colleen, Rebecca, Ash, Brigid, and Shea. They're hurting them, really hurting them. I have to help them." She looked up desperately at the adults. "Nobody has to go with me, I can do it myself, honest!" Jessie's lip quivered suddenly, but she bit it to keep from crying. Ash was her boyfriend, and she hadn't known he was in any danger! What was wrong with her? "Jessie, did you say Ash, the Druid priest-in-training, the one you're friends with?" She bit her lip again. "Jessie?" She nodded. "Absolutely not! You are not going gallivanting after that boy, into hell and high water! Absolutely not! Nemo and Hyde can get him, too!" She rose swiftly to her feet. "I beg your pardon. Ash and the others won't be held near the scientists and people. They're powers will ensure they're held in a highly secure area. Ash rescued me once! I owe him my best shot at getting him out of this mess! If it was Mommy, wouldn't you try to rescue her?" She stared him right in the eye, unflinching. "If your mother had to choose between your safety and mine-" "No, not Mommy. You. Before I was born. If Mommy was in danger, and I wasn't in the equation, would you rescue her? Even if Grandfather told you not to?" Allan passed a hand over his face, and began pacing back and forth between the far left wall of the cave and the far right. Finally, he sighed, defeated. "I would. I would, indeed." "Daddy, you must understand. I can't be protected forever. I've been in the thick of this until now. I can take care of myself." "Fine. You will rescue Ash and the others. But Artemis is going with you, and Thalia, Iris, Sekhmet, Oya, and Lali. Understand?" "Yes. They'll meet me there. Let's go, then."  
  
* * *  
  
"Hello, lover." Mina's voice was deceptively warm and friendly. Dorian turned towards the red-headed vampiress and smiled indulgently, almost condescendingly. Mina's full, red lips quirked into a half smile that didn't quite reach the glacial emeralds of her eyes. "Mina. You're still alive." "Of course, I can't die." Mina tilted her head to the side in a slight mocking inquiry. "Neither can you, if Jessie's visions are to be believed, and they've yet to be proven wrong." She stopped speaking, for suddenly Dorian looked extremely relieved. "What?" "She's alive. She's alive. God, I never wanted anything to happen to her, I... she's alive?" "She is. You scum, you'll betray anyone, won't you, even if you care about them. She says you can't die. Let's put it to the test."  
  
* * *  
  
"Sekh, do you smell them?" The young goddess exchanged a glance with her more mortal cousin, then Sekhmet, the snake-warrior goddess, flicked out her three-foot-long, acid green tongue to taste the air. "I've found them. That way." The seven child-goddesses raced from one cover to the other, creeping down the hallways, to a vaulted door. Iris went up to the door, feeling it for traps, then, concentrating, the blue-haired, silver-eyed goddess touched each hinge with a loving fingertip. It immediately froze and fell to pieces. The lock and alarm were undone by a series of soft trills and whistles from blond, blue-eyed Lali, the Player. The girls then slipped into the room. Oya stared with hard yellow eyes at the sleeping guards. Whirlwinds lifted them up and deposited them in an empty cell. The door was blown shut by the wind, but softly, so as not to clang. A smile tugged at her full, dark lips. Oya was the Orisha of wind, death, rebirth, and change. She was also a mischievous little thing. Jessie ran to the cell full of children between five and ten. A nine-year- old boy with ash blond hair and emerald green eyes snapped awake and rose majestically to his feet. When he saw who was at the door, he cried out softly and rushed to her. "Jesshiquekah!" "Ash!" The Druid boy kissed Jessie's trembling hands as he whispered, "I never dared dream you'd come, I never, oh, Jesshiquekah!" "Ash, I'm so, so sorry I wasn't here sooner, I'm so very sorry." With a whistled tune from Lali, the gate swung open, and the nine Druid children all rushed out. Jessie flung herself into Ash's arms, and they kissed each other, as children in love are wont to do. Then Colleen, Shea, Morgaine, Rebecca, and Brigid pulled Jessie into overjoyed hugs, before she returned to Ash's embrace. "Ash, oh, Ash... I missed you, I missed you so much! I'm so glad to see you again!" "I've missed you, too, Jesshiquekah, I have." He petted her hair and kissed the top of her head until Thalia said, "Okay, let's go, now, okay? Before someone comes. Let's book it." Ash handed Jessie her harp, which the Druids had been keeping safe from M's cronies, and the children all ran.  
  
* * *  
  
"Everyone alright? All here... Allan! Where's Allan and Sawyer?" Mina cried. The blond American was half-carrying the British sharp-shooter down a flight of stairs when he exclaimed, "Here! Help out a bit, won't you?" Allan groaned and murmured, "Where is she? Where are Jessie and the other children?" Nobody knew, until a group of sixteen children ran down a flight of stairs opposite the League members. Jessie saw Alan, bleeding from the knife wound, and gasped. "Daddy!" A boy with ash-blond hair and startling green eyes rushed forward with the girl and put a hand on Alan's chest, over Jessie's hand. Shea, a child with wine red hair and burgundy colored eyes, put her hand over the boy's, followed by Artemis' hand, Rebecca's, and Ronan's. The six divine/magical kids closed their eyes in intense concentration as they fought to heal Alan. There was poison on the blade in his back. Sekhmet yanked it out, causing Allan to shout hoarsely in pain. Then the wound began to heal. The circle of divine magic was broken by a shout of, "Jesshiquekah Quartermain!" The girl turned towards the sound. She saw... a ghost. It couldn't have been... M? Jessie knew Tom had shot him. How was it possible he was here before her? The "ghost" raised a pistol and aimed it at Jessie's heart. Before she could react, Ash had stepped in front of her and taken the bullet in the chest. "Ugh!" He fell into Jessie's arms. "NO!" Jessie was sobbing, begging Ash to keep his eyes open as Henry rushed to him to help. "Please, please, Ash, don't die, don't die..." "Jesshiquekah!" She looked up from Ash's pale white face to see M aiming the pistol at her again. Why hadn't her father shot him? "You disgusting demon bitch! I'll kill everyone who ever mattered to you!" He swung his arm and pulled the trigger of the pistol again. The second bang rang in Jessie's ears as Allan grunted and fell to the ground. "Daddy! Mommy! MOMMY, MAKE HIM STOP!! MAKE HIM STOP!!!!!" Time stopped.  
  
* * *  
  
Jessie looked around. "Where am I?" She saw crimson and burgundy stars in a field of black velvet, like rubies or blood-dipped diamonds studding midnight silk. She was standing in a field, or plain, or meadow, whatever. The grass was black, almost as if it had been charred, but Jessie knew it hadn't. It was the natural color. There was no moon or sun in the sky to light the ground, but there were torches set in the earth of the black field, skulls set on pikes, with oil-soaked moss stuffed into every nook and cranny. There were hundreds of them. The harper knew exactly where she was. The Mystic Abyss, home of Kali and Shiva, gods of death and destruction. Jessie had been born here. She looked around for her mother, but only saw her beautiful throne of black and red marble, and her mothers swords and daggers and spears. Her mother's skull necklace and crown of bones and thorns were lying in the seat of the great chair. But Kali, her sweet, beautiful, terrible mother, was nowhere to be seen. "Mother?" She whirled around, trying to find her. "MOTHER?" She ran from torch to torch, between the scattered pinpoints of light, becoming frantic, hysterical. Where was her mother? She couldn't leave the Abyss without her help, and the longer she was here the sooner her father and Ash would die without her help. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she realized her mother had abandoned her. "MOTHER! MOTHER! MOTHER, PLEASE!" She hit the ground, choking on the sobs tearing themselves from her young throat. "Mother, I need you." She whispered through her tears. "I need you. I don't know what to do. I don't know how to save them. Daddy... Ash... Mommy... MOMMY, PLEASE, I'M BEGGING YOU, I CAN'T DO IT ANYMORE!!! I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!! MOMMY!!!!!" "I'm here!" Kali gathered the sobbing, terrified child in her arms and held her. "It's alright, I'm here, shhh, it's alright. Ash and your father are fine, my darling, time has stopped outside of this place. Please, I cannot bear your tears. I'm here now, it's okay, don't cry." "How dare you! How dare you tell me not to cry! Why didn't you save me? And Daddy? I thought you loved us! We needed your help, why won't you interfere?" "Jessie-" "Bitch!" The child jerked away from Kali. "You hypocritical bitch! How dare you!" "You need my help." "I've always needed your help! Now more than ever!" "I can help you now. The Almighty will allow it." "So, when the Almighty snaps his fingers, you jump. When your daughter, your daughter, begs for your help, you say no. You say no." "Jesshiquekah, I am a goddess first, your mother second. As a goddess, I owe my allegiance to the Almighty. As a goddess, I have vast responsibilities! You scoff now, my darling daughter, but you will as well when you are a goddess." Jessie flinched. "I don't want to be a goddess!" "It's in your blood, Jesshiquekah, in your body, in your bones, in your heart and soul! It is what sets you apart from all others! You are a goddess now, though not yet come into your full powers. You must begin as you mean to go on. As a goddess, you must understand that everything has its price, and that you must keep all of the aspects of life in balance. Chaos will follow you, my Jesshiquekah, and you must learn to live with it! You are as I was, and you will soon be as I am. I pray that day comes later than sooner. You are a goddess, Jesshiquekah Quartermain, and you must be as such forever, as long as you live, for every minute you live." Jessie looked into her mother's eyes, so sad, sparkling with tears. She wanted to cry for her mother, but didn't have any tears left in her. She felt sorry, though. "Mother." "Jesshiquekah." "I apologize. I love you." Jessie bit her lip, thinking. What was she gonna do? How could she stop the chain of events leading to the war? "You cannot stop it. Not even the Almighty can, while still following the rules. What you can do, is fight to protect everything you hold dear, and be aware of every consequence. As a goddess, and as my daughter, gifted with foresight, you will have an easier time of that than any other." Kali looked beyond Jessie, and her lovely, golden brown skin paled. "Mother?" "Go. Through the gate, go. They are coming." Jessie turned to look behind her. A swarming, writhing shadow was oozing closer and closer. Behind Kali, the portal between worlds opened in a flurry of red and black sparks. "Jesshiquekah, my daughter, go, now! You must. They cannot take you, you matter too much, to me, to everyone." Kali grabbed Jessie's arm and dragged her to the gateway. "I love you, my child. Go, with all the grace, speed, wisdom, and power of your kin. Protect your father, and your loved ones. Warn Brigid, Noss, and Psyche." "What do I tell them?" "They are coming. The Hounds, the Jotuns, and the god-killers. All of them. This war heralds their coming. Be careful of them. Now, go!" She shoved the child through the astral gate, then turned to face the oncoming enemy. "Thou art dead men all!"  
  
* * *  
  
Jessie's world was running backwards, like a movie stuck in rewind. She saw her father, bleeding, rise from the floor in the exact way he'd fallen to it a moment ago, only backwards. He was uninjured. Ash rose from her arms to stand off to the side once more. He, too, was unhurt. What was this? Her mother's doing? Or her cousins', Chronos and Trissa? Was it, perhaps, hers? It didn't matter, she was getting a second chance. She was damn well going to take it. When the time-turning stopped, Jessie's hand was back on Allan's body, healing him. She pulled back. The other children stared at her in confusion. "There's no time. Daddy, can you walk?" "Yes," he began. Jessie grabbed his hand, sent a swift collective telepathic communication to the other children, and began pulling Alan's hand. "Come on, hurry, we have to go!" She yanked hard, pulling him back the way they had very first come. "Please, please, quick! Quick!" "Jessie, slow down! I am not as young as I once was, and you are far friskier than I am!" She gave a frustrated cry and merely pulled. "Please, Daddy, trust me! Come quick, quicker than quick, like the wind, we have to get out of here now... Mr. Skinner." She stopped dead in her tracks. "Mr. Skinner's not here! Where is he?" This was bad, this was very bad, they couldn't leave without the invisible man, but they had to leave before M found them. "Thalia, Sekhmet, find him, I beg you!" "Before we go, I have to tell you, the bjornans are outside, waiting for you all." Iris whispered. "We'll find Mr. Skinner. Jesshiquekah, you take your Father, the League, the Druids, and Ash, and get them all out of here now!" The divine ones disappeared, and Jessie and the others ran. They'd just reached the entrance, and Jessie let out a soft whoop of joy, when someone called, "Quartermain." Everyone turned, and then Allan fell backwards with a cry. He hit the wall and slid down, leaving a thick trail of blood down the stone. Scarlet blood soaked the front of his shirt, and a trickle of blood oozed past his lips to stain his beard. "DADDY!" She ran to him, kissed him, crying and shaking him by the collar. She knew he was already dead. "I love you, Jess-" His eyes closed, and his head fell to the side. Her father was dead, just as she had seen. "Oh, no," she whispered through her tears, "no, no, Daddy." She kissed his forehead and wiped away her tears. "Gods damn you to hell, M. You're mine when I find you again. You've stolen the one most precious to me, and I will make you pay. I will make you pay. In the words," and with this, she stumbled to her feet, "of William Shakespeare's Romeo..." Jessie ran outside, followed by the League and their cries of, "Jessie! Jessie, wait! Come back!" The harper was sobbing too hard to run anymore, and she tumbled end over end into the snow. She landed in a heap, but shoved herself up to her knees. She would not submit to fate, to the will of the gods, or to the sorrow brought about by the union of both unholy forces. "Then I defy you, stars! In Romeo's words for the death of one he loved, 'Then I defy you, stars!' Do you hear? God? Mother? All of you gods in Heaven, and the angels too! I defy your will! I defy you! I defy fate! Do you see, Mother? Daddy is gone, he's dead! You could have stopped it, if you'd broken the rules for once in your life! Daddy's dead, Mother!!" She cried, choking on her sobs, hugging herself and practically freezing in the snow, until Mina put her arms around the child. She fought, she screamed, she didn't want to be held now, not now, not ever, never again, now that he was dead. "NO! NO, NO, LET ME GO! LET ME GO, VAMPIRE! LET ME GO!" Mina held tight, never letting go until Jessie went quiet, screaming weakly into her shoulder, crying. She fainted from exhaustion. 


	9. epilogue

Chapter Nine: The New Mission  
  
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen- minus one- stood all around the freshly dug grave in the African soil. The tombstone was of black marble, the etchings filled in with gold. The grave marker had been hand made by Hephaestus, in honor of his niece's father's death, to honor the extraordinary mortal man. Around the stone were planted flowers known as brushfire, tiger lilies, witch blood, and royal teardrops. None of them had yet bloomed, nor even sprouted yet, having been planted only an hour ago. Mina imagined they'd be a lovely tribute to Allan from Jessie. "You remember when he said Africa would never let him die? I wish the old bloke had been right." Skinner said sadly. "So long, Allan." Henry whispered. "Goodbye, Mr. Quartermain." Nemo bowed his head. "Farewell, Mr. Q." Mina whispered. "Forgive me, Quartermain." Dorian Gray, alive and well once more, looked unbearably sad. He turned towards the great marble mansion belonging to the Quartermains, and saw a heart breaking sight. Jesshiquekah Quartermain was dresses somberly, as was her doll, Clarice, that her father had given her on her eighth birthday. Both feminine forms were clad in black breeches, black boots, black tunics, and dark red shirts. Their hair was tied off in identical braids by matching black ribbons. Jessie's eyes sparkled with tears. Her hair was dyed black, and her eyes were a deep sapphire of misery. Her harp was slung across her back, and her doll was clutched in her arms as she made her way to the gravesite.  
"I love you, Mommy." She whispered. "I love you, Daddy." In her mind, she whispered, I know you'll come back soon. Goodbye for now. Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say goodnight until it be morrow.  
"Are you alright, Jess?" Tom looked up into her face from where he knelt beside the grave. The harper nodded softly, fingers caressing the tombstone lovingly before bending and trailing her fingers over the soil where she'd planted the flowers. Her fingertips gave off a faint glow, but nothing really happened. She took up her harp and began to play her father's favorite song. Mina and Nemo both recognized it after a few verses.  
  
"There she weaves by night and day,  
a magic web with colors gay.  
She has heard a whisper says  
a curse be on her if she stay  
to look down to Camelot.  
She knows not what the curse may be,  
and so she weaves on steadily,  
and little other care hath she  
The Lady of Shallot,  
but in her web she still delights  
to weave the mirror's magic sights  
for often through the silent nights  
a funeral comes with plumes and light  
and music down to Camelot.  
And when the moon is overhead  
come two young lovers lately wed...."  
She could not continue, but simply stared at the gravestone. Finally, she whispered, "It isn't fair. It isn't fair at all. Goodbye, my dearest Father. I love you always." She walked away. She didn't need to see the flowers bloom. Mina and the others did. They came, they saw, they were awed. Nemo looked after Jessie's small, dark figure as she walked to the automobile.  
  
* * *  
  
"We have a new mission." Nemo said softly. Jessie continued to stare off into space.  
"Oh?" Henry murmured, surprised.  
"Do tell, Captain." Dorian murmured.  
"We're going to Ireland. It seems the Druids require our assistance." Jessie looked at Nemo, but said nothing. "Let us be on our way, then." Jessie merely sat, waiting. Waiting for the next mission to start. Waiting to see Ash again. Just waiting.  
  
The End  
  
Look for Jessie's next adventure in "Spin Moon Magic." 


End file.
